As lead architect of the Risk Exchange Digital Platform, Justin Mandzik focuses on technology direction, defining standards, and supporting product delivery teams as the platform scales. He also spends time exploring how AI can accelerate both the way we build and the experience our Members have on the platform.
We sat down with Justin to hear more about his role, what makes Accelerant’s culture different, and how AI is changing the way software gets built.
Fast Facts with Justin
- Favorite podcast: The Rest is History
- Something on my bucket list: A round of golf within view of Mount Fuji
- Preferred way to stay active: Coaching and playing soccer with my kids
- Quote or motto I live by: “To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom,” Ralph Waldo Emerson
- My perfect day off: A round of golf with my friends, sushi dinner with my wife and kids, and reading a good book by the fireplace
Digging Deeper: Justin’s Perspective
What makes the culture at Accelerant unique from other places you have worked?
It is an incredible mix of technologists and insurance experts who genuinely respect the skills and expertise each side brings. People assume good intent by default, and leadership sets you up for success, cares about you as a person, and gives you the autonomy and trust to do what needs to be done.
Accelerant lives its values more than any other place I have worked. The people who thrive here are perpetual learners, willing to leave biases at the door and put the mission over personal agendas.
What excites you most about the work you do with Accelerant?
The way AI is changing how software gets built. We are at an inflection point where AI agents can be genuine contributors alongside human engineers, and Accelerant gives us the room to explore what that looks like in practice.
What makes it even more exciting is that the work does not just accelerate our own teams, it flows directly into the platform our Members use every day. That kind of compounding impact is rare.
What is a project you have worked on at Accelerant that you are particularly proud of?
The Risk Exchange Digital Platform. I was one of the founding engineers on the project, and I have seen it grow into what it is today. I am proud of the job we have done and continue to do to build it, and I am excited to see how it is going to change the game in specialty insurance.
What advice would you give someone exploring career opportunities?
Listen more than you talk, but when you have something to say, be clear and decisive. It is okay to say “I do not know,” and it is even better when you follow it with “but I will find out and get back to you.”
What is a common misconception about what you do?
People tend to think technology leadership is about being the smartest person in the room, having every answer, and telling people how to build things. In reality, it is about understanding where your team’s zone of genius is and removing the barriers that keep them from working there.
It is breaking down silos, challenging ideas and assumptions with empathy, and striking a balance between having a vision for where things can go and not taking agency and ownership away from the teams that will get us there.