At the Qorus-NTT DATA Innovation in Insurance Awards 2025, German insurer ERGO won gold in the Workforce Transformation category for ERGO GPT—its secure GenAI platform that equips 30,000 employees with ChatGPT-like capabilities while keeping data internal. The platform enhances customer service, boosts efficiency, and supports digital upskilling. Nicolas Konnerth, Head of Conversational AI, and Antonia Schiller, Digital Adoption Manager, share more about ERGO GPT and what the win means for their team.
Can you introduce yourselves and tell us more about your roles at your company?
Nicolas Konnerth: I am Head of Conversational AI at ERGO as well as the project lead for ERGO GPT. I am responsible for the technical development and continuous enhancement.
Antonia Schiller: I work as a Digital Adoption Manager. Within the ERGO GPT project, I am responsible for all change management activities—ensuring that employees are supported, engaged, and empowered throughout the transformation process.
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What made you most proud of the winning project? What was your greatest achievement in making it happen?
We are very proud of the transformation we have achieved with ERGO GPT. It is now seen by employees as a meaningful and valuable tool in their daily work. We've built a strong internal user base, including power users and enthusiastic advocates who are independently driving the topic forward within their departments. This marks an important first step in familiarizing the organization with generative AI.
Equally, we’re proud of the strong cross-functional collaboration that made this possible. Close cooperation between business units, IT, and other key stakeholders, has been essential to delivering the project in such a successful and impactful way.
Above all, the project laid the foundation for sustainable cultural change—promoting innovation, experimentation, and a future-oriented mindset at ERGO.
What’s the most important thing you would tell someone considering embarking on a similar project?
The most important aspect is to ensure a strong and effective collaboration within the team. In our case, everyone is united by a shared goal: to advance ERGO GPT and firmly establish its presence within the organization. A shared vision and open communication are the keys to a project's success.
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What's coming next for the project?
Moving forward, we want to expand our internal training offerings, identify effective use cases, and support our employees. Our goal is to make ERGO GPT an integral part of our daily work. Driving cultural transformation is not a sprint, but a marathon—we are determined to take every step together.
What would you say to companies that might consider entering the 2026 Insurance Innovation Awards?
We would highly recommend taking part in the 2026 Insurance Innovation Awards. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your project, reflect on your achievements, and connect with other forward-thinking companies in the industry. The exchange of ideas and inspiration is incredibly valuable, regardless of whether you win an award or not.
What does this award mean to you and your innovation team?
This award is a great honor and a strong acknowledgment of our work. It confirms that we are on the right track and encourages us to continue pushing forward. Being selected as one of only a few Gold winners out of nearly 300 initiatives is something we’re incredibly proud of. We are very grateful and it means a lot to our entire team.
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Interviewees
Nicolas Konnerth
ERGO Versicherungsgruppe
Head of Conversational AI
Antonia Schiller
ERGO Direkt Versicherungen
Digital Adoption Manager