In the world of short-term insurance premium collections, reliability is not a feature, it’s an expectation. Every debit order that triggers, every reconciliation that balances, and every report that informs business decisions rests on a foundation of technology that must run without compromise. At QSURE, the person accountable for that foundation is Ismail Alexander, Operational Applications Manager and custodian of the core systems that process, protect, and move over R1.7 billion in premiums every month.

His role isn’t flashy, and it’s not meant to be. If the engineers of an aircraft do their job well, the passengers never think about what keeps them in the air. Ismail’s world operates much the same, silent, seamless, and mission-critical.

Defining the function: reliability, efficiency and security - Ismail sees his role through three strategic lenses: system reliability, process efficiency, and security adherence. These aren’t abstract ambitions; they are daily operational requirements.

“My core mandate is to ensure that the systems managing debit orders, reconciliation, and reporting run optimally and deliver maximum business value,” he explains.

In essence, Ismail leads and protects the heart-beat of QSURE’s operations. When premium collections run smoothly, insurers receive funds on time, intermediaries experience reduced administration, and policyholders are serviced without disruption. This is where technology becomes trust, and trust becomes currency in the insurance ecosystem.

The impact: when operations become experience - We often think about customer experience in terms of design, communication, or support interactions. But at QSURE, customer experience begins long before a phone rings. It starts with system integrity.

“My impact on CX is ensuring reliability and data integrity, the foundation that makes QSURE a trusted financial services partner,” Ismail notes.

When the operational applications run flawlessly, clients don’t just get service, they get certainty. A single technical failure can delay millions of rands, ripple across the value chain, and erode confidence. Reliability is therefore not just an IT Systems priority, it is a brand promise.

Managing the core technology stack - Ismail is responsible for overseeing the full technology ecosystem underpinning QSURE’s premium collection and payment services. This includes system availability, vendor coordination, application enhancements, maintenance cycles, and continuous improvement.

His role became even more nuanced with QSURE’s transition from DevOps to DevSecOps, a shift he describes as transformational:

“Security moved from a final checkpoint to something integrated into every phase of development and operations. Our environment is now more rigid, secure, automated, and resilient than ever before.”

For a business handling sensitive financial data, this evolution is not only progressive, it’s essential.

Challenges at speed: regulation, legacy, and security - Working at the intersection of financial regulation, insurance compliance, and technology innovation brings unique operational pressures. Ismail identifies three key challenges:

Yet, Ismail’s approach is structured, strategic, and risk-aware. The most significant tool in his arsenal is a robust Third-Party Risk Management model, essential given QSURE’s dependency on external development vendors.