"ACORD Connect" Returns in Person, Uniting the Global Insurance Industry Around Data, Truth, and Trust

ACORD member organizations receive free or discounted passes to conference exploring future of insurance industry

NEW YORK, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ACORD, the data standards-setting body for the global insurance industry, today released a preview of the agenda for ACORD Connect, its flagship annual conference. ACORD Connect 2026 will be held September 16^th-17^th at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, marking the first time it has been held in person since 2019.

This year's theme is "Data, Truth, Trust," centering conversations on how data integrity can enable smarter, more reliable outcomes across the insurance industry. The conference will be a celebration of community, an opportunity for education and training, and a chance to meet the visionaries driving change across the industry.

"Data, truth, and trust are central industry tenets. The insurance industry runs on data, and the decisions we make today about how that data is governed, shared, and used will determine whether the industry earns or erodes the trust of the organizations and people it serves." said Malou Soriano, SVP, Global Chief Officer of Education, Consulting & Advocacy, at ACORD. "Our goal is to bring the people together who are driving those decisions and to move the conversation in a more action-oriented direction."

The keynote will be given by Sarah Baldeo, a neuroscientist whose work examines the question: How do we unlock the 100 trillion synaptic connections of the human brain and upgrade our operating system in the Age of AI? Baldeo researches how intelligent systems are reshaping human cognition, executive judgment, and institutional decision-making, and she will address how trust is built in new technologies. Drawing on the intersection of her neuroscience and AI expertise, Baldeo's keynote will examine how to become more resilient, communicative, and collaborative in an AI-enabled industry.

ACORD Connect will also feature a live recording of "The Future of Insurance" podcast, hosted by Bryan Falchuk. The episode, titled "Ensuring Trust in Data at a Time of Mistrust," will bring together a panel of industry leaders and live audience to examine the current state of data, historical and emerging threats to data integrity, and industry imperatives for maintaining data truth and trust. Panelists include:

• Meredith Barnes-Cook (Senior Principal, Datos Insights)
• Russell Sommers (Principal, Baker Tilly)
• Spero Zacharias (SVP, Global Information Technology, Major Initiatives, Chubb)
• Joe Zuk (Operating Partner, Altamont Capital Partners)

ACORD Connect attendees will get first-hand access to a wide range of other conference sessions, covering topics such as:

• How the market is moving toward seamless, end-to-end digital data exchange
• Building a strong foundation for scalable, reliable, and trustworthy AI outcomes
• Talent retention, intergenerational knowledge sharing, and change management
• How collaboration and standardization are accelerating successful digital solutions across the global reinsurance market
• Balancing human judgement and automation in AI underwriting
• Practical cybersecurity considerations insurers face as AI becomes more embedded

At the conference, ACORD will also honor the winners of the 2026 ACORD Awards, whose leadership, innovation, and commitment are driving meaningful progress across the insurance industry.

Employees of ACORD member insurers, reinsurers, brokers, agencies, and partner associations are eligible for complimentary passes to ACORD Connect 2026. To register for ACORD Connect, view the full agenda, or learn more, visit www.acordconnect.org.

About ACORD
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is the global standards-setting body for the insurance and related financial services industries. ACORD facilitates fast, accurate data exchange and efficient workflows through the development of electronic standards, standardized forms, and tools to support their use. ACORD engages thousands of insurance and reinsurance companies, agents and brokers, software providers, financial services organizations and industry associations in more than 100 countries. ACORD maintains offices in New York and London. Learn more at www.acord.org.

Media Contact:
Beth Jarecki, Omnia Paratus
[email protected]

SOURCE ACORD