This is a profile image of Elixabete Larrea Tamayo

Elixabete Larrea Tamayo

Senior PartnerBoston

Brings a depth of experience in serving property-and-casualty insurers, specializing in designing next-generation operating models

Elixabete focuses on helping leading property-and-casualty (P&C) insurance carriers to design next-generation operating models for a digital world. She brings order and discipline to the many digital initiatives that companies are pursuing, concentrating on the end-to-end customer journey as well as the supporting processes and breaking down organizational silos. Elixabete leverages her deep expertise in P&C claims and digital services—including lean processes, advanced analytics, robotics, and automation—to help companies implement these redesigned operating models and realize value from their efforts. She also focuses on building capabilities, especially for leadership teams, to sustain the operational transformation.

Examples of her recent client work include the following:

  • conducting more than 15 “art of the possible” ideation sessions with claims leadership teams in Canada, Europe, and the United States, including developing the vision for the claims operating model of the future and identifying transformational ideas to implement it
  • leading a company-wide next-generation operating-model transformation across digital, automation, and robotics for a P&C carrier
  • leading the transformation of the claims organization for a leading US P&C carrier, including implementing a lean-management system for its different lines of business and designing the leadership learning journey for the executive team
  • directing a multiyear operational and strategic transformation of the claims organization for the personal-lines business of a leading global P&C insurer
  • leading the development of a company-wide leadership academy for a global P&C insurer undergoing a major lean-management transformation and developing a blended field and forum learning journey for roughly 120 leaders

In addition to her client work, Elixabete is passionate about increasing opportunities for women in corporate leadership and leads efforts in the Boston office to recruit, retain, and advance the firm’s women leaders.

Elixabete is a native speaker of Spanish and Basque, and is conversational in French.

Video

The future of insurance claims,” McKinsey & Company, October 2019

Published work

Global Insurance Report 2025: The pursuit of growth,” McKinsey & Company, November 2024

Decarbonizing P&C claims,” McKinsey & Company, December 2023

Creating an inclusive environment in insurance,” McKinsey & Company, December 2022

Claims 2030: Embracing the future,” McKinsey & Company, September 2022

Claims 2030: Dream or reality?,” McKinsey & Company, May 2022

The new standard for insurance claims,” McKinsey & Company, podcast, May 2022

Claims 2030: A talent strategy for the future of insurance claims,” McKinsey & Company, December 2020

How North American claims organizations can respond to the coronavirus,” McKinsey & Company, May 2020

How workers’ compensation carriers can build better models of care in the US,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

Rethinking customer journeys with the next-generation operating model,” McKinsey & Company, podcast, January 2018

The next-generation operating model for the digital world,” McKinsey & Company, March 2017

Bringing out the best in people,” McKinsey & Company, January 2015 

Education

Harvard Business School
MBA

Reims Management School
MS, international business

University of Deusto
MS, strategic management
BA, business administration