Sabine VanderLinden

Activate Innovation Ecosystems | Tech Ambassador | Founder of Alchemy Crew Ventures + Scouting for Growth | Chair, Board Member, Advisor | Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow-Bayes Business School

I don't just talk about innovation, AI, workforce or digital transformation— I build the bridges that make things real.

As Founder & Venture-Client Partner of Alchemy Crew Ventures, I run global R&D + Adoption Labs that connect Fortune 500 insurers and corporates with the most brilliant tech ventures on the planet. Think of us as the “fast lane” between startup brilliance and enterprise adoption. My themes include FinTech/ InsurTech and deploying AI at scale responsibly. 

What this looks like in numbers:
📍 Accelerated 160+ ventures and sourced 55,000+ startups worldwide
📍 Invested in 35+ early stage startups
📍 Delivered exits like FitSense → Zurich (2018), MyFutureNow → L&G (2019), and Tia Tech → Sapiens (2020)
📍 Created Insurer-led Acceleration and Scaleup programs that turned pilot purgatory into scalable commercial success

But the real story? I help founders land their first million-dollar client, build authentic personal brands, and help corporates cut through the noise to adopt tech that drives real growth.

My world revolves around:
📍 Venture Clienting 2.0 & Corporate Innovation Frameworks
📍 AI (ethics, adoption, emerging risks)
📍 Climate Resilience, Risk Futures & Sustainability Transformation
📍 The Future of Work (where humans + tech thrive together)

Beyond Alchemy Crew:
📍 Co-editor of the bestselling INSURTECH Book
📍 Wrote forewords for the Future of Insurance and Momentum
📍 Lecturer on Corporate Venturing at Bayes Business School
📍 Board + advisory roles across VCs, Scaleups (The CareVoice), foundations (Women to Watch), standards (ACORD Solutions) & global insurers
📍 Top 10 Business Podcast "Scouting for Growth" 
📍 Recognized with 10+ awards, including Most Influential CEO – Insurance Corporate Ventures (2024/2025)

My channels beyond LinkedIn:
x.com: @SabineVdL
instagram: @sabinevdlofficial
Medium: @sabine_vdl
Podcast: Scouting for Growth and Beyond Tech Frontiers
Newsletter: alchemycrew.ventures

What drives me?
Creating value where others see friction.
Turning hype into measurable outcomes.
And making sure technology becomes a force for good, not just another buzzword.

Award List (10+): Insurance Times-Tech & Innovation Awards Winner (2018), Grant Thornton-Face of a Vibrant Economy (2018), Business Insurance-Women to Watch Honoree (2019), Corporate Vision-Venture Validation Firm of the Year (2021), Finalist Women in Insurance Perseverance Award (2021), Awarded Perseverant Company to Watch in (2021), ACORD Awards (2020/2023), Most Influential CEO-Insurance Corporate Ventures (2024/2025).

Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer & Venture Partner

Delivering venture labs that accelerate, industrialize and democratize the way tech ventures engage with corporations. These labs apply acceleration, co-creation, and commercialization techniques to de-risk the way insurers and financial institutions collaborate, grow, and scale their venture-led growth initiatives.

Also, systematizing for a select group of growth ventures the way their engagement with corporations.

You can find out more 👉🏽 https://alchemycrew.com/

🌟 As we stand on the edge of a new year, it's clear the last 12 months weren't about smarter dashboards or louder chatbots. 💫

They were about a fundamental shift in what AI can do.

Our journey with SAS into Trustworthy #AgenticAI has been a revelation. Across every conversation, case study, and poll, the same powerful signals emerged—pointing to a future where AI doesn't just analyze. It acts. Human-led and agent operated. 

If you missed parts of the series, this thread connects it all. If you've been with us the whole time, this is the blueprint for what comes next.

The 5 Big Takeaways:

🤖 Action over analysis. Intelligent decisioning is already stopping fraud and rerouting claims in real-time. Decisions in motion—not data on a screen.

🔒 Trust through transparency. Governance and human oversight aren't optional. They're the entry ticket.

🧠 Smarter AI from synthetic data. It's how AI learns faster, safer, and in ways real-world data never could.

👫 Human + AI = Dream Team. The most powerful applications are human-in-the-loop. AI handles speed and scale. Humans provide judgment and ethics.

🚀 Autonomy is here—prepare now. Leading companies aren't asking if Agentic AI matters. They're asking how fast they can operationalize it responsibly.

Agentic AI will reshape organizations. The question is: who can deploy it with confidence? Which of these five insights resonates most with your 2026 strategy?

Happy New Year 2026.

#BusinessTransformation #FutureOfWork #Leadership

SAS - The 5 Big Takeaways

As the festive cheer of Christmas settles into a quiet hum, I find my thoughts drifting back to a truly magical experience on Faena Beach. 

You will find there on the beach Es Devlin’s breathtaking installation, “Library of Us,” that offers the most profound gift of the season: perspective.

Imagine a towering, mirrored library, shaped like a pyramid, rising from the sand. Inside, 2,500 books stand as silent storytellers, their spines a kaleidoscope of color against the endless blue of the Miami sky. The structure itself is a masterpiece, its reflective surfaces blurring the lines between the tangible and the infinite, the sky and the sea.

At the heart of this installation appeara a quote from Jorge Luis Borges: 

“I am not sure that I exist actually. I am every book I’ve ever read.” 

“Library of Us” is a physical embodiment of this idea, a testament to the fact that we are all, in essence, a collection of the stories we’ve absorbed, the perspectives we’ve encountered, and the lives we’ve touched.

In these quiet moments after Christmas, a time for reflection and connection, this installation feels particularly poignant. It provides an invitation to see the world through the eyes of others, to find connection in our shared human story, and to recognize the beauty in our collective diversity. 

We have to admit that this is a powerful reminder that even with our differing points of view, we can coexist in harmony, much like the thousands of books in that library on the Feana Beach.

As we step into the new year, let’s carry the spirit of the “Library of Us.” 

It’s a reminder to stay open, to listen, and to remember that every person we meet is a library of stories waiting to be read. 


What a beautiful way to begin a new chapter.

Credit: Art

🌟 The ground just shifted beneath the world of risk! And most leaders missed it.  Here is why...💫

Did you see this? Last week, Munich Re began insuring AI model errors for mortgage lenders. While this certainly demonstrates that AI is becoming a more prominent emerging risk in our lives, it also signals a seismic shift: the #AgenticFrontier is no longer a theoretical future—it has arrived.

For years, we've talked about transformation. Yet Boston Consulting Group (BCG)'s data shows a stark reality: while 78% of P&C insurers are “dabbling” with AI in the claims process, only 4% have successfully scaled it. Imagine what this means across the insurance operations and the overall enterprise.

The rest are caught in the “pilot trap,” a sinkhole for laggards.
The gap between the talkers and the doers has become a chasm. The 4% are fundamentally redesigning their businesses around AI.

This is no longer about whether you'll embrace #agenticAI. It's about how you'll lead the transformation. For corporate leaders, the mandate is clear. For founders, the 18-month enterprise sales cycle is now optional for those who can provide de-risked, insured solutions.

Here is the playbook for those ready to move from ambition to action:

1️⃣   Stop the science projects. Pick one end-to-end process—claims, underwriting, finance, customer support—and commit to a complete, AI-driven redesign. The real ROI is in redesigning the unglamorous, high-impact back-end operations, not bolting AI onto broken workflows.

2️⃣   De-risk your transformation. AI error insurance is now a board-ready mandate. Use it to turn AI from a high-risk experiment into a scalable, enterprise-grade asset.

3️⃣   Reframe the protection gap as an innovation mandate. The same creativity used to insure algorithms must be turned toward insuring humanity against Nat Cat/ extreme weather risks and other systemic risks. This is the largest market opportunity of the next decade.

The uninsurable world is a choice, not a necessity. The leaders of 2026 will be those who use the tools of the agentic frontier to rewrite the rules of risk.

What is the most fundamental “gap” you see in your organization’s AI strategy right now? Please share...

Is it the tech, the talent, or the trust?

And enjoy this week's newsletter. 👏🏽

#CapacityGap #TrustbyDesign

The Week That Changed Everything Last week, while most of us were winding down for the holidays, the ground shifted beneath the world of risk. Munich 

Open article: The Frontier Is Here: Your Top 10 Insurance Trends for 2026 by Sabine VanderLinden • 10 min read

The Frontier Is Here: Your Top 10 Insurance Trends for 2026

I could not resist! Even dogs know: transformation takes teamwork, patience… and a lot of kneading. 🐾🍞

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a 2026 filled with ideas that rise beautifully—especially the bold ones.

🎄 Three days before Christmas is a funny time to talk about Agentic AI.
But it’s actually the perfect one. 👇🏽

Because right now, leadership teams aren’t buying tools. They’re quietly asking a more complex question:

“What do we trust our AI to do in 2026?”

Over the past weeks, one message kept surfacing — across exec conversations, real use cases, and your feedback:

👉🏼  Agentic AI only scales when trust is designed in.
➡️  Not later.
➡️  Not after the experiment or going into implementation.
➡️  From day one.

So as we close the year, here’s a practical recap — the checklist enterprises should take into 2026:

📌 1. Explainability is non-negotiable: If you can’t explain a decision, you can’t defend it to regulators, customers, or your own board.
📌 2. Clear autonomy boundaries beat “AI optimism”: Define exactly what AI can decide, when humans intervene, and how edge cases escalate.
📌 3. Human fallback is a strategic feature, not a failure: The most resilient systems assume exceptions and design graceful handoffs to experienced humans.
📌 4. Ethics isn’t a policy, it’s a process: Regular, diverse review of autonomous decisions keeps bias and blind spots from compounding.
📌 5. Continuous monitoring protects trust: Drift, anomalies, and unintended behavior don’t announce themselves. You have to watch constantly.

This is why I keep saying:

Don’t build GenAI foundations on quicksand. The organisations that will lead in 2026 won’t be the ones with the flashiest demos.  They’ll be the ones who can let AI act responsibly.

My question for you, as we head into the holidays: Which of these five will be your biggest focus in 2026 — and why?

👇 Drop it in the comments. Let’s compare notes before the year resets.

#AgenticAI #TrustedAI #SASViya

Betacom Group | Progettazione Consulenza Sviluppo di Soluzioni IT

* Partners with other Sales stakeholders to strategize and lead sales opportunity qualification
* Brainstorm methods for engaging and selling products to customers
* identify touchpoints to be manned and supports to be realized to facilitate the sales process
* Develop strong and long-term client relationships

Sales Operations Manager

Self-Employed

Coordinate the GTM plan of Software Solutions Offerings of established Startups like:
* The smartest and effective way to manage, control and speed up the SD Wan performance
* The State-of-Art platform for fundraisers & No Profit organization, in a vertical solution fully endorsed by the Platform owner

Sales Strategy Manager

BOWMAN

* Identify  & Meet with prospective clients and set approach strategies
* Partners with other Sales stakeholders to strategize and lead sales opportunity qualification
* Brainstorm methods for engaging and selling products to customers.
* Develop strong and long-term client relationships
* Negotiate contracts and close agreements

Senior Sales Account Executive

Stonebranch

* Identifies “new” business opportunities within the Region (Italy & Canton Ticino)
* Devises and implements sales and marketing strategies (for the entire region) to grow Stonebranch’s market share in-line with company expectations and targets
* Confers with customer representatives and management to determine and interpret customer requirements
* Builds strong operational relationships with key stakeholders

Sr. Regional Sales Director

Meteca

-	Discover new potential customers and generate new business opportunities
-	Cooperate in the definition of prices, solutions and services
-	Participate to Customers and Partners briefing, sharing the related info with the Management 
-	Sales Forecasting and monitor activities

Sr. Sales Director

The Go To Market Company

Manage the annual and quarterly planning processes, which include the development of the business plan, operating model, resource allocation, market segmentation, vertical prioritization and compensation design. Work with the cross-functional leadership team (VPs and Directors across Sales, Product, Finance and Marketing) to drive alignment on business goals. Structure and execute operational and strategic initiatives by developing work plans, gathering and synthesizing relevant data, leading analyses and developing final recommendations. Conduct organizational reviews to identify strengths and weaknesses and to evaluate operational effectiveness. Provides ongoing strategic guidance to plan and manage growth of business revenues and market share.

Senior Vice President, Sales Strategy and Operations

Valore BF

Focused on communicating and executing the strategy in the field, presenting products, 
solutions, value proposition at all levels in customer and partner organizations
Understands the details and status of all key sales opportunities; works with Account & Sales Managers  to secure required resources.
Participates with the Sales management to collect and consolidate the forecast,
pipeline, win/loss analysis and appropriate metrics; provides feedback to the Top Manager.

Director Of Business Development

Mobile Solutions Europe Srl

•	Led the Italian operation with full P&L responsibility. Recruited and mentored new employees.
•	Reviewed current offerings and introduced new SaaS (software as a service) using the cloud to manage customer data without installing new hardware on their premises; during 2016 the new offering quickly grew to more than 25% of new business.
•	Achieved 10% annual revenue & profit growth by identifying new opportunities and working more effectively with existing clients.

Managing Director

Quint Wellington Redwood

•	Led the Italian operation with full P&L responsibility and a team of 20, developing strategy and plans to grow sales whilst ensuring financial stability after carefully analysed market and competitor dynamics. 
•	Supported local management and coached them on company products and services. 
•	Developed excellent relationships with partner companies. 
•	Conceptualized and developed start-up of consulting firm branch office; increased profits to €1.8m (27% profit growth) with a year. Achieved market leadership in ITIL training market with 60%+ share.

Managing Director Italy & Regional Sales Manager Southern Europe 

BMC Software

•	Led the Italian operation with full P&L responsibility and 120 employees.
•	Developed and implemented a new strategy to drive increases in revenue and boost competitiveness.
•	Directed sales & marketing operations; analyzed sales promotion plans & customer preferences and explored new market segments to identify growth opportunities.
•	Achieved 190% of the annual revenue target; Italy became the highest ranked global operation in FY04.
•	500% indirect revenue increase by developing a new partner strategy addressing new markets and opportunities.
•	Built a new referral network by nurturing relationships with key Italian IT market stakeholders; customers, market-level executives, CEOs, and IT managers. 
•	Won large complex deals (10 -100m$) with leading companies at Italian and International level.

Country Manager

•	Led a team of five Technical Experts and five Marketing Managers. 
•	Established successful strategic partnerships with key clients, working closely with Account Managers to secure required resources.
•	Analysed all key sales opportunities; identified new opportunities for revenue generation. 
•	Conducted customer needs assessments, defined requirements, and recommended customized solutions.
•	Liaised with local presales, the European Champion of the business area and R&D in USA to ensure best leverage of solutions and alignment with internal standards and processes.
•	Developed and implemented business plans and sales & marketing campaigns. 
•	Achieved 160% of FY03 target.

Mainframe Business Unit Field Director ~ EMEA/Southern Region

•	Led a team of 10 employees.
•	Identified client needs and planned events, seminars, and training for customers and prospects. 
•	Worked closely with Country Managers to develop & execute Sales Skills Development Programme. 
•	Liaised with USA head office to establish a global education structure for the new EMEA organization resulting from the merger of BMC, Boole & Babbage and New Dimension. 
•	Managed brand building by conducting product awareness campaigns and coordinating product launches.
•	Achieved sales targets of $205m in FY01. 
•	Opened the BMC University in the new office of Sophia-Antipolis beginning with an empty space and starting with the classes after just 3 months!

 Marketing & Education Mainframe BU Director (EMEA)

Pre Sales & Business Development Manager

As a seasoned Sales Director with over 25 years of experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge in sales management, operations, and business software selling. My expertise lies in identifying prospective clients, negotiating contracts, closing agreements, and leading sales opportunity qualification. 

I have a successful track record in managing sales teams within the enterprise space, with a focus on cultivating new lines of business and expanding existing clientele. My experience spans coordinating the go-to-market plan for software solutions offerings of established startups and growing businesses in Italy and across EMEA. 

I am well-versed in the Customer Experience space, including Content, Commerce, Customer Journey Management, Data Insight, and Activation. My ability to connect technology and business needs has allowed me to act as a trusted advisor, building and developing stakeholder relationships. 

I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy taking on challenging tasks, completing them with passion and dedication. My achievements include setting up the brand new BMC University, securing a record contract of over 100 million dollars, and establishing the Italian market's leadership by starting the local branch of a consulting company from scratch. 

Fluent in both English and Italian, I possess strong presentation skills, executive presence, and influencing skills.
I am excited about the opportunity to bring my unique blend of skills and experience to my future partners, driving innovation, growth, and success in the role of Sales Director.

Mail: franco.mastrorilli59@gmail.com
Mobile: +39 335 6415886

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