Digital transformation is not just about being modern—it’s about being meaningful.
For Chuma Qwalela, the Head of Strategy and Business Integration at Rand Mutual Assurance, the real challenge of going digital is not about the tech; it’s the mindset. In this interview, she shares how Rand Mutual Assurance is bridging the gap between legacy systems and future-ready models by putting purpose and people at the centre of change.
She talks about cross-functional squads and shared values, and how storytelling, not just strategy decks, helps overcome resistance and drive lasting impact.
Q. What are the biggest challenges insurance companies face when transitioning from traditional operations to a fully digital-first approach, and how can they overcome internal resistance to change?
A. When insurance companies begin their journey from traditional operations to a fully digital-first model, the shift is often less about technology and more about mindset. Some of our key challenges at Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) have been legacy systems, fragmented processes, and siloed data that reduce our responsiveness. However, the biggest complexity has been in building an organisation-wide culture that embraces change and is future-ready. Many teams have grown up in paper-driven, compliance-heavy environments. The leap to digital-first means asking people to think differently, operate differently, and serve differently—all at once. That kind of change can feel deeply disruptive.
At RMA, as a social insurer with our policyholders at the heart of all that we do, we utilise technology to support injured workers faster, with more dignity, and with greater transparency. This organisation-wide shared purpose has been a powerful catalyst for buy-in.
Q. With the rise of AI, automation, and insurtech innovations, how can insurers strike a balance between leveraging technology for efficiency while maintaining a personalized customer experience?
A. We see digital transformation as not just about being more modern, but about being more meaningful. This for us means using technology not only to improve operations, but to strengthen the trust and relationships that are at the core of our value proposition. As we embrace AI, automation, and the rapid rise of insurtech, we aim to enable personalisation, not remove it. We utilise data and AI as tools to understand our customers in richer ways than ever before. This then goes into our differentiated service models, ensuring that we design each digital touchpoints to make our customers feel known, supported, and respected at all times.
Q. Many digital transformation initiatives in insurance fail due to poor execution, what are the key factors that separate successful change management strategies from those that fall short?
A. What separates success from failure is often the presence of clarity, coherence, and commitment, especially at the highest levels of the organisation. We always put the customer first in our design thinking. With that in mind, it often requires us to bring together cross-functional squads that bridge strategy, IT and business operations. This way, we do not leave any of our functional areas behind in our digital transformation, and each area feels heard and valuable to the transformation. Continuous and transparent communication, using storytelling techniques with pictures and videos of our progress (not just death by PowerPoint) also help build clarity and trust in the process.
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