Andrew Rear, CEO of Digital Partners, a Munich Re company, is appointed Buckle’s new Chairman of the Board
Buckle, a tech-enabled financial services company, announced the appointment of two industry leaders. Kristi Matus, who was Executive Advisor for Thomas H. Lee Partners and CFO of USAA, is now the company’s CFO and COO. Andrew Rear, CEO of Digital Partners, a Munich Re company, and an insurance and insurtech investor, has been appointed Chairman of Buckle’s Board.
“Buckle is rapidly moving in its mission to provide insurance, credit, and advocacy to Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) providers and platforms,” said Marty Young, Co-founder and CEO of Buckle. “As USAA has provided top-rated banking and insurance to military members and their families, we are passionate about doing the same for the gig economy. Kristi’s in-depth experience, from beginning her career as an actuary and quickly moving to the executive ranks of insurance, credit, and investment management will allow us to progress in our charge and navigate the company through rapid growth.”
During nearly a decade with USAA, Kristi also served as President of Life Insurance and Investment Services and as President of the Life Insurance Company. She was also Executive VP and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at athenahealth, Inc. and Executive VP and Head of the Government Services Segment at Aetna, Inc. Kristi currently serves on the boards of Cerence (CRNC), Equitable (EQH), and Alliance Bernstein (AB).
“Throughout my career, I’ve sought opportunities where there was a genuine drive to create the asset of long-term economic value for shareholders while building a legacy of delighting customers,” said Kristi Matus. “Being part of the Buckle team allows me to utilize 30 years of experiences in a way that can truly transform finance and insurance to support the gig economy, consistent with economic and social changes that have occurred in the workforce.”
Andrew Rear joined Munich Re in 2010, leading the Asia, Africa, and UK life businesses until 2016 when he took the role as CEO of Digital Partners. Digital Partners is a global business working with, and investing in, start-ups, digital verticals, and the gig economy with the ambition of building an engaged proposition for insurance customers. Previously, he was a partner and head of the EMEA insurance practice at Oliver Wyman.
“I’m excited to be joining Buckle’s board,” said Andrew Rear. “The gig economy is the most significant economic development of the last decade, and one which the insurance industry has yet to get a grip on. Through its products, analytics and technology, Buckle is the most comprehensive platform to address the distinct needs of gig workers.”
Both appointments will steer Buckle as it continues to use non-traditional data sources and analytics models to create better pricing and improved risk evaluation for gig workers. The knowledge and experience will help the company to continue its mission to offer more affordable insurance and credit products that provide well-deserved support to gig economy workers and the TNC platforms that contract them.
