Modernizing MassMutual: AI Strategy, GenAI Assistants & Longevity Innovation

June 2, 2025

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About the Guest

Sears Merritt

Head of Enterprise Technology & Experience at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance

Sears Merritt is Head of Enterprise Technology & Experience at MassMutual, a $34B mutual life insurance company. He oversees the firm’s technology, cybersecurity, data, and AI vision—managing a $650M budget and a global team of 3,000. Merritt holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder and an MBA from MIT Sloan. Prior to joining MassMutual, he led startups and conducted academic research focused on AI and infrastructure systems. He is credited with building MassMutual’s data science foundation and pioneering its health-tech and AI initiatives.

Episode Overview

How does a 174-year-old mutual insurance company stay ahead of the curve?

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Sears Merritt, Head of Enterprise Technology and Experience at MassMutual. Sears leads a $650M tech budget and a global team of 3,000, driving innovation in cybersecurity, data, and generative AI to deliver superior experiences for employees, advisors, and policyholders. Sears shares insights on MassMutual’s modernization journey from consolidating legacy systems to rolling out secure GenAI tools like Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot. He also unveils the company’s strategic investments in virtual assistants, R&D partnerships, and a groundbreaking health and wellness platform that aligns longevity with economic value for policyholders.

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