The world of cyber insurance is moving at a dizzying pace, caught between rapid innovation and escalating claims. For Canadian businesses navigating this volatile digital landscape, Sophia Kudlik, the Cyber Practice leader at Hub International, has become a crucial guide. Her mission is to translate the complex language of cyber threats into clear business strategy, helping organizations build true resilience.
A Career Forged in the Fire of Crisis
Kudlik's professional journey is a testament to adaptability. Starting in the insurance sector over a decade ago, she quickly identified cyber risk as the next major frontier. "I saw an opportunity to bridge leadership and management with the world of cyber risk," she recalls. This insight led her to a bold move: leaving insurance to lead the Canadian practice of an incident response firm.
This shift proved pivotal, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses rushed online, cyberattacks surged. Kudlik and her team were on the front lines, managing real-time ransomware and data breach crises. This hands-on experience, she says, built a deep sense of empathy. "These are high-pressure, high-sensitivity situations. The human factor is just as critical as the technical one."
Bridging Two Worlds: From Insurtech to Strategic Advisor
Her career took another turn into the insurtech space with a role at Coalition, where she honed her skills in simplifying complex messages for product developers, underwriters, and clients. Immersed in Silicon Valley's communication culture, she learned to tell the story of cyber risk in actionable terms.
Now, back at Hub International in her leadership role, Kudlik integrates all these perspectives. She helps Canadian organizations not just purchase a policy, but build holistic cyber resilience through better policy design, executive education, and strategic alignment. "Every pivot," she notes, "has made me more effective in advising clients. It's all connected."
Mentorship and Mindset: Using Fear as a Compass
For Kudlik, professional growth is rooted in mindset, not just titles. She credits mentors who saw her potential before she did. When first offered a chance in incident response—a field where she lacked a technical background—she hesitated. A mentor's conviction, 'We need someone who can bridge these two worlds,' reshaped her career path.
She also champions a philosophy of embracing fear. "Fear tells you where the growth opportunities are," Kudlik explains. "If something scares you, it's probably the direction you should go." This approach has been central to her non-linear path from insurance brokering to crisis management and back to executive advisory, all before January 2026.
As the digital economy expands and cyber threats grow more sophisticated, the role of advisors like Sophia Kudlik becomes indispensable. By humanizing the complex world of cyber insurance, she is empowering Canadian businesses to transform their greatest digital vulnerabilities into pillars of strategic strength.
