Layla Atya is the Founder and CEO of Zala Technology, where she leads one of the most forward-thinking companies in the insurance space, specializing in parametric insurance, commercial specialty products, and AI-powered underwriting. With a deep background in risk engineering and actuarial modeling, Layla has positioned Zala as a multi-million dollar global innovator in insurance technology.
As Zala’s Chief Risk Engineer, Layla drives the design and deployment of AI Underwriting-as-a-Service, developing custom pricing and risk models using Python, C#, and JavaScript. Her team delivers proprietary frameworks for risk segmentation and modeling across cyber, property, travel, and climate-sensitive insurance lines—enabling global carriers and MGAs to launch scalable, compliant, and profitable products faster.
Beyond her leadership at Zala, Layla actively shapes the future of underwriting as an advisor and fractional Chief Underwriting Officer at multiple startups, including Covrzy (India), Sitata (travel risk), Batteryze (energy storage), and Clupp (auto). She serves as a mentor in the InsurTech NY MGA Lab, guiding startups like Otonomi and Ric on risk design, regulatory strategy, and product execution. Her career reflects a consistent mission: using cutting-edge technology to close global protection gaps.
From transactional risk solutions at Quantumerge to global travel threat analytics at Sitata, Layla’s work spans continents and industries. She brings unparalleled cross-border insight into what it takes to build modern MGA infrastructure—balancing regulatory nuance with rapid product iteration.
At the 2025 MGA Lab Education Day, Layla Atya will present “The Definitive MGA Timeline,” walking attendees through every milestone required to build, file, and launch a modern Managing General Agent. Her session will blend strategy, compliance, and technical execution—ideal for founders ready to bring their first products to market.
