Insurance on
your terms.
Insurance on
your terms.
We believe in leveraging technology to hyper-personalize, optimize, and streamline every part of the home insurance process.
We believe that getting it right for the individual matters and that a one-size-fits-all approach has no place in the insurance world.
We believe in building trust by making it easy to do business with us and in helping our policyholders prevent and navigate the what if’s of homeownership.
We believe your insurance should be on your terms.
Slide into the future.
Slide into the future.
Built for modern
consumers.
Built for modern
consumers.
Slide’s cutting-edge technology delivers a digital-first, hyper-personalized insurance experience.
High-performance
outcomes.
High-performance
outcomes.
With the largest historical dataset in home insurer history, Slide’s platform and portfolio are built to perform.
Industry-leading
expertise.
Industry-leading
expertise.
Behind Slide is a team of leaders with an unmatched depth of insurance, data science and technology expertise.
We are Slide.
Slide makes it easy for modern homeowners to choose the right coverage for their unique needs and budgets. Our cutting-edge technology leverages artificial intelligence and Big Data to hyper-personalize, optimize, and streamline every part of the insurance process.
Based in Tampa, FL the company was founded in 2021 by Bruce Lucas, an insurance insider with a deep understanding of how technology can be applied to achieve better outcomes for both consumers and the business.
Slide had a record-breaking $125 million Series A in 2021 and has since grown to be one of the largest homeowner insurers in the country.
Our Foundation
As Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Heritage Insurance, Bruce Lucas took the super-regional homeowner's insurance carrier from inception to IPO and beyond. Despite challenging market conditions and record numbers of natural disasters, he maintained profitability and stability throughout his 9-year tenure. He left Heritage to pursue the next big opportunity in insurance. Lucas envisioned leveraging data and cutting-edge technology to transform all aspects of the insurance process, including operations, claims, underwriting, customer, and agent experiences.
Slide's Big Data Advantage
To deliver on his vision, Bruce joined forces with a network of insurance, technology, data science experts from marquee companies like Amazon, Facebook, Progressive, and eBay.
Big Data is the key to Slide's technological advantage. It is impossible to have credible artificial intelligence and machine learning without it. Slide has forged partnerships to gather a dataset in excess of $6 trillion total insured value. With a dataset larger than any other competitor, Slide is positioned to make better underwriting decisions and provide more options for homeowners.
A Better Way
Curated by deep data science, Slide's cutting-edge technology streamlines and optimizes everything from underwriting decisions to the customer experience to the way we partner with independent agents.
Meet some of the people behind Slide.
Meet some of the people behind Slide.
We’re a team of big dreaming insurance gurus, tech trailblazers, number crunchers, risk analyzers, and business growers who share a passion for designing world-class outcomes and experiences.
Bruce Lucas
Founder & CEO*As Founder and CEO of Slide, Bruce drives the vision and innovation behind our technology. Prior to Slide, he founded super-regional insurer Heritage Insurance (NYSE: HRTG), where he grew the company from a single-state start-up to over $1 billion in annual revenue in 15 states. His unique insider’s perspective of the insurance industry formed the basis of his vision to transform all aspects of the insurance process including operations, claims, underwriting, and user experiences. Bruce has earned global accolades, including being recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
Jesse Schalk
President & CFO*As President & CFO of Slide, Jesse oversees the data-driven financial strategies of our holding company. Jesse has over 25 years of experience in the P&C insurance industry as a senior leader in operations, investments, financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and reinsurance. Before joining Slide, Jesse served as Chief Financial Officer and President of St. Johns Insurance Company.
Shannon Lucas
COO & Chief Risk Officer*Shannon leads Slide’s operations and enterprise risk management. She has nearly 20 years of experience in P&C insurance with big-name companies like Tower Hill, Heritage, UPC, and HomeWise. Her deep expertise in predictive analytics and data optimization are key to Slide’s growth and stability. Among her many accomplishments, Shannon was selected as an honoree of the TBBJ 2023 BusinessWoman of the Year award and was named a Top 40 Elite Women in Insurance” by Insurance Business America.
Rao Tadepalli
Chief Information OfficerRao leads Slide’s Applications, Technology, and infrastructure strategies. He has over 30 years of experience in the P&C insurance technology field. Prior to joining Slide, Rao founded DigiTran, which helped insurance companies transform their legacy systems using emerging technologies. He also served as an advisor and mentor to several of the leading tech-enabled insurance and fintech Silicon Valley startups. Rao has a Master’s degree in computer science. Among his accolades, Rao is the recipient of the Celent Model Insurer Award.
John Devoe
Chief Claims OfficerJohn leads Slide’s claims operations and claims customer experience. He has 29 years of experience in insurance claims and holds 33 adjuster licenses, Associate in Claims (AIC) designation, and FEMA-NFIP certification with authorization across all categories. John was the former President and COO of RYZE Claim Solutions which provides comprehensive claim adjusting services throughout the US.
Russell McCollough
Chief ActuaryRussell is responsible for leading the Actuarial function at Slide. He has over 25 years of actuarial experience for companies that write catastrophe exposed property lines business. Russell served as the head of the Actuarial function at Southern Farm Bureau for 10 years and most recently Chief Actuary at Allied Trust Insurance Company. He became a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) in 2004 and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) in 2000.
Rachel Carr
Chief Marketing OfficerRachel leads Slide’s omnichannel customer experience, integrated marketing strategy, and branding. She has over 15 years of experience in the carrier and brokerage settings. Prior to Slide, she was an executive leader at one of the fastest-growing P&C insurance brokerage firms in the nation. Rachel’s strategies for disruptive marketing in high-growth environments have distinguished her from her peers. Among her accolades, she was named one of Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” professionals.
Shannon Gougis
Chief People OfficerShannon leads the People Operations of the organization, using a holistic approach to achieve a positive employee experience and successful business outcomes. Shannon is a SHRM-SCP and has over 23 years of expertise in HR and People Operations. Prior to joining Slide, she was the Chief People Officer at e-TeleQuote Insurance Inc. Among her accolades, Shannon won the Top 100 Women Leaders in Tampa award in 2022, and was also named Small Business Executive of the Year by Business Intelligence Group.
Chas Powell
SVP of SalesChas leads Slide’s agency distribution strategy. With 20+ years of industry experience, Chas has deep product knowledge and an unmatched track record of supporting the success of agency partners. He began his career as a Producer at his family’s agency in Florida and has since held roles as Underwriter and Territory Sales Manager at Unitrin Kemper and, most recently, as a Vice President of Independent Agency Distribution with Farmers | Foremost Insurance. His background, data-driven approach, and proven growth strategies continue to fortify Slide as a leader in the market.
Jeremy Baczkiewicz, JD, MBA, CPCU
SVP of Underwriting & Product*Jeremy is responsible for Slide’s underwriting operations and product development. He has over 18 years of experience managing direct and independent agency business in the P&C industry. Prior to Slide, he served as the VP of Underwriting & Compliance at Allied Trust Insurance Company. Jeremy also has prestigious industry designations including CPCU, ARe, and is a proud member of the Florida Bar Association.
Jonathan Mertz
SVP of OperationsJonathan is responsible for overseeing day-to-day company operations including the monitoring of performance, efficiencies, and the support execution of the Slide operational strategy. He started his career with St. James Insurance Group where he gained extensive training in underwriting for numerous personal and commercial lines programs and claims administration. He later served as Marketing Director of St. James Insurance Group, and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of St. Johns Insurance.
Vern Kirchhoff, CFA
SVP of Data AnalyticsVern leads the Data Analytics team at Slide, with a focus on reporting and implementing actionable AI and ML Ops. He has 31 years of P&C industry experience with a background in personal lines insurance. During his tenure at UPC, Vern grew the company from a single-state insurer to Super Regional Insurer with more than $1.3 billion in annual revenue. He led and managed the product teams across multiple P&C entities operating in 18 licensed states. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Matt Larson
SVP of Risk ManagementMatt is responsible for building Slide's reinsurance pricing framework for underwriting, portfolio management, and placement of the reinsurance program. He spent the past 13 years at Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions division. Most recently, Matt co-led the Coastal Regional Segment within their Catastrophe Management group. He holds the Certified Catastrophe Risk Management Professional (CCRMP) credential in conjunction with the International Society of Catastrophe Managers (ISCM).
*Appointed at the Holding Company level