WOLT
Technology company Wolt ’ s Head of Insurance and Risk Management , Garrett Olson , explains the insurance needs of Wolt ’ s 180,000 + courier partners
Anybody who lived on planet Earth during the COVID-19 pandemic will be very familiar with the convenience and variety that comes from having food , groceries and merchandise delivered to your door . In the US , companies like DoorDash , Grubhub and UberEats are helping to create a roughly US $ 25bn economy – buoyed by strong growth during lockdown .
One of Europe ’ s leading players in the industry is Wolt , a Finnish-headquartered technology company that makes it easy to discover and get the best restaurants , grocery stores and other local shops delivered to your home or office .
Founded in 2014 , Wolt has rapidly grown to a 9,000-person company spread across 25 countries and hundreds of cities – from Oslo to Tokyo . Wolt has also expanded from restaurants to multiple verticals , and customers can today order a broad selection of products on Wolt – from medicines to dog food and flowers to cosmetics . In 2022 , Wolt joined forces with DoorDash , which operates in 29 countries today , including 25 of them with the Wolt product and brand .
Based in the Danish capital , Copenhagen , Olson has been with Wolt for just over three years . Building simple , relevant and valuable safety nets for the platform economy motivates him . Prior to Wolt , he worked with the Executive Boards at Zurich Insurance Group ; the shipping company Mærsk ; and FLSmidth , an OEM to the mining and cement industry in strategy , risk and venture building roles .
There is no typical Wolt courier partner . Olson understands each courier partner has their own personality , preference of vehicle and device , and desired hours on the platform . He recognises the various motivations that individuals may have for earning on the platform : sporadic and ad-hoc basis , supplementary or transitional .
What are the needs of a courier partner ? Understanding the demands of courier partners is the first step towards providing a relevant insurance proposition for them – a process which is led by Wolt ’ s Head of Insurance and Risk , Garrett Olson .