Company Overview

Verisk Analytics, Inc. is a data analytics and risk assessment company primarily serving the insurance industry, with additional exposure to specialized risk-related markets. The company provides proprietary data, statistical analysis, predictive modeling, and decision-support software that help clients assess and manage risk, improve underwriting accuracy, comply with regulation, and mitigate fraud. Its core customers include property and casualty insurers, reinsurers, insurance brokers, and related financial services firms, with revenue largely driven by subscription-based data and analytics services.

Verisk traces its roots to 1971 with the formation of Insurance Services Office (ISO), a cooperative created by insurers to develop standardized policy language and loss cost data. Verisk Analytics, Inc. was established as a holding company and became publicly traded in 2008. Over time, the company expanded beyond insurance into energy, commodities, and geopolitical risk analytics through acquisitions, before strategically refocusing on its core insurance analytics franchise in the early 2020s.

Business Operations

Verisk’s operations are organized primarily around its Insurance business, which represents the vast majority of revenue. This segment includes underwriting and rating solutions, claims analytics, catastrophe and weather risk modeling, fraud detection, and regulatory and advisory services. Key operating units include ISO, which supplies actuarial data and policy forms, and Verisk Claims Solutions, which supports claims management and fraud prevention.

The company operates on a recurring-revenue model, generating income from long-term contracts, subscriptions, and transaction-based services. While Verisk historically maintained an Energy & Specialized Markets segment, most energy-related assets have been divested, and remaining activities are limited. The company maintains a technology-intensive platform, leveraging large proprietary datasets, advanced analytics, and cloud-based delivery, with operations supporting both domestic and international clients.

Strategic Position & Investments

Verisk’s strategic direction is centered on deepening its leadership position in insurance analytics through product innovation, operational efficiency, and targeted investment in data science and artificial intelligence. Growth initiatives focus on enhancing catastrophe modeling, climate and weather analytics, and automated underwriting and claims solutions, areas of increasing importance to insurers facing complex and systemic risks.

In recent years, Verisk has undertaken portfolio simplification through divestitures, most notably the sale of its majority stake in Wood Mackenzie, reinforcing its emphasis on insurance-focused analytics. The company continues to invest organically in its core platforms and selectively pursues bolt-on acquisitions that strengthen data assets, analytical capabilities, or software integration within the insurance value chain.

Geographic Footprint

Verisk is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, and maintains a significant operational presence across North America, which represents its largest market. The company also operates extensively in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, supporting multinational insurers and reinsurers with region-specific data and regulatory expertise.

International operations include analytics centers, client support offices, and research teams in key insurance markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, continental Europe, Australia, and India. This global footprint allows Verisk to deliver localized risk insights while leveraging centralized data and technology platforms.

Leadership & Governance

Verisk is led by an executive team with deep experience in data analytics, insurance, and technology-driven services. The company emphasizes disciplined capital allocation, long-term customer relationships, and the development of proprietary data assets as core elements of its leadership philosophy and strategic vision.

Key executives include:

• Lee Shavel – President and Chief Executive Officer
• Elizabeth Mann – Chief Financial Officer
• Lou DeFrancis – President, Insurance Solutions
• Sabra Purtill – Chief Human Resources Officer
• Paul Applegate – Chief Technology Officer