Amelia Lowe, Vice President of Operations of SquareTrade Europe
Today we're meeting Amelia Lowe, Vice President of Operations at SquareTrade Europe. They specialise in revolutionising the traditional, slow-moving insurance industry by creating an offer that redefined customer experience.
Over to you Amelia - my questions are in bold:
Who are you and what's your background?
My name is Amelia Lowe, and I am the Vice President, Operations at SquareTrade Europe. I have been working in operations, sustainability, strategy and innovation for over 15 years.
Prior to beginning at SquareTrade, I worked as an independent consultant at a number of household brands, such as Heinz and Unilever. My work focussed on innovation, customer experience and brand retail presence, specifically looking at the impact of sustainability and branding flexibility.
After a series of independent consultancy roles, I made the transition to MADE in 2012, working as part of the Buying, Merchandising and Supply Chain team. MADE.com was one of the fast growing e-commerce business in Europe at the time, and during my time there we increased turnover by over 300%, to over £50 million per annum.
I made the move to SquareTrade as I was drawn to the company's bold mission – to revolutionise the traditional, slow-moving insurance industry by creating an offer that redefined customer experience - which ten years later, this is something we know call "Radical Customer Centricity"
We have built foundations for driving excellence in customer experience which supports both top line growth and increasing profitability simultaneously. We have done this through Operational innovative, Digital transformation, and hyper-focused automation. Throughout, our mission has been to transform insurance from a "bad" service category into something genuinely valuable for the end consumer. We aim to empower people to protect the things that keep life running smoothly while reshaping expectations of what an insurance plan can deliver.
What is your job title and what are your general responsibilities?
As Vice President of Operations at SquareTrade Europe, I serve on the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for comprehensive operational oversight across 15 European markets. My role encompasses our Customer Experience, Customer Operations, Supply Chain, and Solutions & Sustainability divisions.
Additionally, I spearhead Operational Compliance & Risk initiatives, holding the FCA-approved Senior Management Function in the UK, and maintain a strategic position on the European Risk Committee.
Can you give us an overview of your business?
As an Allstate company, SquareTrade is one of the fastest growing providers in the European device protection market, working with leading operators, retailers and manufacturers. We aim to lead our industry in providing protection plans and ownership models that meet modern customer needs.
We are obsessed with radical customer centricity, from our first-to-market innovations and market-leading service delivery to ensuring every customer is taken care of 24/7 and with worldwide coverage through our digital-first approach. Insurance products must be proactive in their nature, to deliver the right customer experience, rather than reactive. This is how we've shaken up the industry, transforming a 'bad' service category into something 'good' that empowers people to take care of the things that keep life running smoothly. Our teams are united by this goal - redefining what people expect from a protection plan.
We know people don't want to feel like commodities and a one size fits all approach doesn't cut it. Devices have become an integral part of our daily lives and today's owners demand more – they require flexible access to their devices, affordable options that meet their needs, and peace of mind when things go wrong. That's why we've created an innovative suite of products designed to meet people wherever they are. It's how we're able to provide value for over 150 million devices for leading operators, retailers and manufacturers.
We see protection not just as a product or a plan, but as a mindset that combines security, convenience and accessibility. Designed to move with people through life, helping them to enjoy life with the devices they love and rely on.
Tell us how you are funded?
SquareTrade is owned by The Allstate Corporation, one of the largest publicly held personal lines insurers in the United States. Widely recognised by its slogan "You're in Good Hands with Allstate", Allstate was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Illinois, offering a broad portfolio of protection products and services across multiple markets.
Our ownership structure gives us a unique advantage - we combine the financial stability and proven success of a Fortune 100 company with the agility and innovation of a start-up. We benefit from Allstate's substantial market knowledge, while maintaining our independence to function as an innovative protection provider in our own right.
What's the origin story? Why did you start the company? To solve what problems?
SquareTrade was founded to become a leading protection plan provider for mobile phones, electronics, and appliances. From day one, our mission has been to transform the device protection and ownership solutions industry through radical customer centricity - offering innovative solutions, market-leading service delivery and flexible resolution options.
We recognised a gap in the market; traditional protection often felt complex, frustrating and outdated. So we set out to change that by pioneering first to market innovations like digital-first claims, same-day replacements and local on-site repairs.
Who are your target customers? What's your revenue model?
Whenever someone purchases an electronic device - whether through a retailer or operator - they should be offered a protection plan. If that operator, retailer or manufacturer is one of our partners, that plan is an innovative, customer focused, digital first SquareTrade protection plan.
We have designed protection plans and ownership solutions that deliver same-day services by aligning our solutions with customers' needs. We believe it's a market-leading service delivery that supports our increased program success with partners across every European market we operate in, and we've also driven consistent growth for our partners in North America and APAC.
Our success, driven by our commitment to radical customer centricity has seen us expand our global presence and drive revenue growth. Today we protect over 150 million devices globally, including some of the largest operators, retailers and manufacturers globally.
If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you change in the FinTech/Insurance sector?
Today, our mobile devices are more than just a calling device; they are lifelines - central to how we work, socialise and express ourselves. We don't value them just for the hardware, they have become prized for connecting us to the world and the digital lives they enable.
Yet, despite this evolution, the way we protect them hasn't kept pace. Standard device insurance covers the physical device, however the value of what we hold on our devices far outways the physical device itself. We need these devices to move through modern life, from buying a coffee to getting on public transport, they have become essential extensions of ourselves.
In London alone, a phone is stolen every six minutes. But the real damage begins after the theft. Today's criminals aren't just after expensive hardware, they want to access the data within, passwords stored in notes, logged-in banking apps, social media accounts and even photos of passport details.
Most people remain unaware of these vulnerabilities until it's too late. While device insurance is common, few consumers consider protecting their data and digital identity. Further, the boundaries of coverage can be unclear - with many assuming their existing coverage shields them from fraud, or cybercrime, when typically it does not. This awareness gap leaves people exposed to serious risks.
This needs to change. The mobile industry, along with protection partners like us, must create more forward-thinking protection solutions. Solutions built not just for today's needs, but for tomorrow's risks.
If I could change anything, it would be to get us to that future faster.
What is your message for the larger players in the Financial Services marketplace?
We're living in an era where most people own multiple devices and rely on them for an ever increasing number of use-cases, and with that comes an increasing number of threats, like phone theft, risks to digital identities and fraud.
These challenges are becoming more complex and right now people are finding it difficult to figure out what protections they need and where to turn when something goes wrong. In fact, our research shows that nearly half of UK consumers (43%) aren't even sure what's covered by their insurance.
My message to the industry is simple: Financial institutions, retailers, operators, OEMs, and regulators, it's time for us to work together and create solutions that provide more integrated protections – that address the needs of people in today's fast-moving landscape.
Finally, let's talk predictions. What trends do you think are going to define the next few years in the FinTech/Insurance sector?
The future of device protection and financial services is rapidly evolving, extending far beyond traditional insurance models. We're seeing a convergence of fintech, insurance, retail, and banking solutions, driven by consumer demand for convenience and integrated services.
This 'superappification' of services is already emerging with players like Revolut and Monzo offering services ranging from banking, to crypto, to travel insurance, to retail shopping, all within a single platform. As this trend continues, insurance is set to become an integral part of these types of platform solutions.
We're headed towards a new era of technology-enabled protection hubs that go even further - integrating device protection, identity protection, financial services, and other consumer needs into a single platform. The key to making this work at scale is seamless data integration and unified user experiences that eliminate the friction of managing multiple providers. At SquareTrade, we've led digital transformation efforts across multiple markets with one guiding principle: radical customer-centricity. Whether it's instant claims filing or same-day device repairs, we use technology to meet customers where they are and eliminate friction. This approach has shown us how AI and data are reshaping the device protection industry - not just in underwriting and claims but in how we understand and serve customers.
Soon, AI will enable proactive protection, including systems that identify abnormal patterns or potential risks before consumers even realise anything is wrong. That's the future we're building toward.
Thank you very much, Amelia!
Read more about Amelia Lowe on LinkedIn and find out more about SquareTrade Europe at squaretrade.com.