Premium Credit hires product and AI leads; IDF appoints African reinsurance chief as deputy chair; Asta adds former Chaucer CEO to board

# What happened Premium Credit, the premium finance provider, announced two senior appointments: Ben Andrews as product director and Sam Harry as head of AI delivery. The Insurance Development Forum (IDF) named Hope Murera, managing director and group CEO of ZEP-RE, as deputy chair of its steering committee. Asta appointed Bob Stuchbery as an independent non-executive director of its managing agency board, effective October 1.

# Why it matters Premium Credit's hires indicate a strategic move to formalise product management and to create structured governance for AI work. The company is embedded in many brokers' payment journeys, so changes to its products or AI-driven processes could directly affect broker and customer payment experiences. Premium Credit emphasised using AI, including agentic AI, for growth and efficiency while building governance to scale safely.

Hope Murera's IDF role links a senior African reinsurance executive directly to the forum's steering committee. The IDF is a public-private partnership focused on expanding insurance in developing economies. Murera's background at ZEP-RE and leadership of an agricultural-technology subsidiary focused on climate resilience positions her to connect global insurance capacity with national and regional priorities in Africa.

Asta's board appointment adds a former Lloyd's chief executive and managing agency chair to its oversight of third-party syndicates on the Asta platform. This bolsters governance at a time when Lloyd's scrutiny of new entrants and start-up syndicates remains significant.

# Details to note

• Sam Harry was AI product lead at UBS Investment Bank. His role is newly created and focuses on deciding which AI projects the business pursues and establishing governance to scale AI safely.
• Premium Credit's CEO Tara Waite highlighted technology change and the opportunity to use AI for growth and efficiency.
• Hope Murera retains her ZEP-RE role while taking the IDF deputy chair position. She has more than 30 years' experience in African insurance and reinsurance and chairs ACRE Africa, ZEP-RE's agricultural technology subsidiary focused on climate resilience for farmers.
• Michel Liès, chair of the IDF steering committee, said Murera's African market experience will help align global capabilities with national priorities.
• Bob Stuchbery served as Chaucer CEO until 2015, later held international roles at Hanover, joined Beazley plc's board in 2016, chaired Beazley Furlonge until recently, and has been an independent non-executive director at Santam since September 2025.

# What to watch next

• Credit's product operating model changes broker payment journeys and whether new AI governance affects Consumer Duty responsibilities for brokers on finance arrangements.
• IDF program directions that deepen insurer and reinsurer engagement in African parametric, agricultural, and sovereign risk solutions.
• Asta's oversight of start-up and specialist syndicates under the heightened scrutiny of Lloyd's, and how Stuchbery's experience influences board decisions.

# Bottom line