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Holly Briffa is an experienced consultant and actuary with a passion for transforming data into strategic insights that drive meaningful change. With a background in actuarial science and a career that includes roles at Ernst & Young (EY) and Strategic Project Partners (SPP), Holly specialises in using data analytics to inform decision-making, optimise outcomes, and shape strategies for government, public sector, and corporate clients.
What she learned from strategy consulting;How she uses data to help government and private sector clients optimise outcomes and shape strategies;Examples of strategy consulting frameworks that can be helpful for actuaries; andWhy she decided to return to study to pursue her Fellowship exams.
Throughout her career, Holly has led a range of high-impact projects, from developing forecasting tools for government departments to enhancing operational models for not-for-profit organisations. Her work blends analytical precision with strategic vision, empowering stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions that deliver results.
Recognising the pivotal role strategy consulting played in shaping her career, Holly values how this experience has sharpened her problem-solving abilities and broadened her approach to tackling complex challenges. She is eager to share these insights, believing that strategic thinking and data-driven decision-making can benefit professionals in all industries.
In this interview, Holly shares:Read Holly’s article on the Double Diamond framework.
Connect with Holly on LinkedIn.We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.
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Dominic is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society. Originally from Jamaica with 13 years of experience in property & casualty insurance and software presales, he is now a Senior Solutions Advisor at SAS where he has been for the last 3 years. In addition to his actuarial career, he is one of the most dynamic content creators in the profession, proficient in 16 different content forms. He is also a professional keynote speaker, focused on maximizing impact and value for quantitative professionals on a global scale.
His personal mission as an actuary and content creator, Common pitfalls actuaries make when creating content or using social media, and Advice for actuaries wanting to build their personal brands using social media.
Finally, Dominic lives in Los Angeles, California with his girlfriend, two dogs Ziggie and Kent, and enjoys watching European football whenever possible.
In this interview, Dominic shares:Visit the Maverick Actuary Website: Your Home For Actuarial Science, Risk Management, And Analytics.
Listen to Live With The Maverick Podcast.
Connect with Dominic on LinkedIn.
Find Dominic on Instagram.
Watch Dominic’s talk “Beyond Insurance - Actuarial Science TED-style Talk”.
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Sidd is a qualified actuary with the Institute of Actuaries in Australia. He has worked across general insurance pricing, actuarial consulting and currently working at the Australian Government Actuary (AGA). He is working on the Priority Investment Approach, which uses actuarial analysis to estimate Australia’s future lifetime welfare costs for the current population. Originally from India, Sidd moved to Australia at the age of 13. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys hiking, trekking, and running.
In this interview, Sidd shares:
Why he became an actuary, His experience of qualifying during the transition to the new education program, Useful strategies for maintaining good mental health, How he uses his actuarial superpowers to make a difference in the world, and His advice for actuaries pursuing Fellowship.Read Sidd’s Under the Spotlight article here.
Connect with Sidd on LinkedIn.
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Victor Bajanov is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and a seasoned analytics leader with nearly two decades of experience in data science. Currently serving as Executive of Product Analytics and Generative AI Centre of Excellence at Quantium, Victor has a diverse background spanning consulting and product development across industries including financial services, retail, and telecommunications. Victor is a member of the Data Science Practice Committee and has served as an expert witness for the Federal Court of Australia. With his blend of actuarial knowledge and cutting-edge data science skills, Victor brings valuable insights to the intersection of traditional actuarial work and modern analytics.
Why analogies are so powerful, Examples of powerful analogies in business, and His process, and tips, for generating powerful analogies.
In this interview, Victor shares:Connect with Victor on LinkedIn.
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Mike has over 30 years’ experience in life insurance, wealth management, pensions and educating actuaries. Whilst in Europe, he led a team of over 30 actuaries covering product design, reserving, embedded value profit reporting and built up a risk management function for a large, multi-national insurer. Mike set up the Part II program at Monash university and is now leading all aspects of the Institute’s education activities.
In this interview, Mike shares his:
- career journey in becoming an actuary and now an educator,
- reflections on the ‘new’ Education program in Australia, and
- tips for actuaries wanting to future-proof their careers beyond qualification.
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.
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Maathu Ranjan is an actuary with experience in the disability, health and general insurance sectors. She is also an award-winning researcher and a recognised leader in the Australian Public Service, having been awarded the prestigious Sir Roland Wilson scholarship to conduct doctoral research at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy. Prior to this, Maathu was a Senior Actuary at the National Disability Insurance Agency, leading the Actuarial Strategic Initiatives team to evaluate key priorities in strategic policy and service delivery.
Maathu is an advocate for the use of rigorous evidence and the actuarial skillset to inform decisions and policy design. She has a keen interest in social policy, with her doctoral research focusing on the impact of government support systems on autism and younger onset disability relating to neurodevelopmental conditions.
In this interview, Maathu shares:
How she built her reputation as a successful actuary and researcher in social policy, What she’s found in her research into childhood autism prevalence in Australia, The evolving data landscape in Australian social services, and Her tips for actuaries wanting to contribute to social policyConnect with Maathu on LinkedIn.
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Colin Priest is an actuary/data scientist/marketer/communicator/educator who has held several CEO and general management roles, where he has championed data-driven initiatives in financial services, healthcare, security, oil and gas, government, and marketing. With a passion for how humans and AIs can work together, Colin has contributed to Singapore Government projects on AI ethics, AI governance, and the future of work. Colin strongly supports the science of healthcare and does pro bono work for cancer research.
What mistakes actuaries commonly make when communicating results, Why getting to know your audience and what matters to them is key to building trust, and How to use more than just data to build C-Suite trust in AI.
In this interview, Colin shares:Connect with Colin on LinkedIn
Watch: The Behavioural Science of AI Governance – ICA2023
Watch: How to Build C-Suite Trust in AIWe are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.
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Jeff is the founder of The Actuarial Nexus, an online platform specializing in preliminary SOA exams. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and was employed as a Medicaid pricing actuary from 2012 through 2022.
How his online learning platform uses AI to help students prepare for actuarial exams, How educators can use new approaches in teaching actuarial studies, and How we can work together in an AI world so students can learn to use AI and still uphold academic integrity.
In March 2022, Jeff left the traditional career path to pursue his passion for technology, coding and education, eventually building The Actuarial Nexus. He has implemented several generative AI features on the platform, with the goal of making generative AI a viable tool for actuarial exam preparation. He routinely uses generative AI for coding, creating course material, and writing practice questions/solutions.
Jeff is also a budding content creator, having started a YouTube channel in 2023. He plans to upload more AI-related content in the future.
In this interview, Jeff shares:Jeff Yang on YouTube.
The Actuarial Nexus.
Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.
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Jared is passionate about artificial intelligence and its potential to transform ways of working. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, with a career spanning two decades within the Life Insurance industry. He is currently the Head of Actuarial Systems, Data, and Process Optimization at AIA. His focus is on harnessing AI to boost company-wide productivity and empowering actuaries to be at the forefront of responsible AI implementation.
Jared also recently delivered an innovative presentation at the Australian Actuaries Summit titled ‘The Artificial Actuary.’ In this presentation, he showcased how AI models can be transformed into artificial actuaries. Through an insurance repricing example, Jared demonstrated how artificial actuaries can leverage tools like projection models and collaborate to tackle more complex tasks.
In this interview, Jared shares:
An illustration of how teams of artificial actuaries can perform actuarial work, The key skills human actuaries need to learn to thrive in an AI world, How human leaders will need to change as society embraces AI, and Why human actuaries should be at the forefront of AI adoption within our organisations.Connect with Jared on LinkedIn.
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Win-Li Toh is a principal at actuarial and analytics consultancy Taylor Fry, and Senior Vice President of the Actuaries Institute of Australia. From her childhood in a small mining town in Malaysia to an international career spanning more than 25 years, Win-Li’s diverse experiences have indelibly shaped her approach to life and work.
With a strong focus on collaboration, fresh perspectives in problem solving and advocacy for young people, Win-Li is a guiding force in the insurance industry. She brings deep understanding as a trusted advisor to self-insurers as well as publicly underwritten schemes, Appointed Actuary to several Australian and New Zealand insurers, and mentor to many.
Win-Li was named 2023 Insurance Leader of the Year, and is regularly approached for her commentary on critical issues affecting insurers and the community, including customer fairness, affordability and cyber vulnerabilities. She was lead author on the Actuaries Institute cyber green paper, exploring the challenges and opportunities for decision-makers in creating a vibrant, sustainable cyber insurance market.
She believes finding common purpose is key, and that actuaries are uniquely placed to bring multiple voices together to give clear insight into the shades of grey in situations towards finding pragmatic, workable solutions.
Insights from living, studying and working across different cultures, How both culture and curriculum impact maths ability, What speaking several languages has taught her about communication, and Why enjoying the journey, in your actuarial career and in life, is so important.
In this interview, Win-Li shares:Connect with Win-Li on LinkedIn.
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Naomi Edwards is a highly experienced chair and non-executive director who is also a proud actuary. She is passionate about the contribution that people with a STEM background can make to boards, public policy and society. She currently sits on the boards of TAL, Propel Funeral Partners and Yarra Funds Management. She is the Chair-elect of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was the 2023 President of the Actuaries Institute. She was also the Chair of industry super fund Spirit Super for over a decade.
As an executive actuary, Naomi focused on life insurance M&A, Prophet and Margin on Services (yes, she is that old!). She was a director of Trowbridge Consulting and a partner at Deloitte, where she ran the Australian Financial Services Industry Group across all professional disciplines.
In her spare time Naomi has been a stand up comedian, an extreme bushwalker and a rock-climber.
In this interview, Naomi shares:
What she learned from her experience as a stand-up comic, Her highlight serving as the Actuaries Institute President in 2023, How people with a STEM background can make a contribution to boards, public policy and society, How organisations can be more inclusive, particularly for neurodivergent employees, and Her top tips for actuaries wanting to make a difference.Connect with Naomi on LinkedIn.
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Ilan Leas is a founder of an actuarial start-up, retender. He has worked in Australia, the UK and South Africa and is a former Chair of the Life Insurance and Wealth Management Practice Committee at the Actuaries Institute. He has a real passion for encouraging others to try the start-up path, at least once, and has written a book about all the things you shouldn’t do if going on this journey.
How he found the courage to leave stable employment to build a business;What supports he found helpful on his start-up journey, andHis advice for actuaries considering leaving employment to start a business.
In this interview, Ilan shares:
Find out more about Ilan and retender
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Andrew is currently a Director at Taylor Fry and has 14 years’ experience as an actuary in Australia and overseas, advising numerous injury schemes, insurers and government clients in the health and social sectors. He specialises in using advanced analytics to help his clients make better policy, pricing and operational decisions. Andrew has developed social investment simulation models to help governments understand how people interact with their services, and ultimately to help them evaluate and implement better policies for vulnerable people. Andrew has also advised on reserving and pricing for government schemes and private insurers, particularly in workers compensation and builders warranty.
Beyond his day job, Andrew is also a three-time Microsoft Excel World Champion and was the Financial Modelling World Champion in 2019.
In this interview, Andrew shares:
How he has developed his world-class Excel skills, How he used data for good in general insurance, and How he uses advanced analytics to derive insights for governments.Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn
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Dr Jananie William (FIAA, PhD) wears many hats: she is an academic at the ANU, a Research Affiliate with the Global Institute of Women's Leadership (ANU) and Advisor to The Social Outcomes Lab. She worked as an actuary in general insurance before transitioning into her current roles. Jananie now spends her time educating new generations of actuaries while researching and consulting on matters relating to public health and public policy, with a focus on issues that adversely affect women’s health and economic security across their lifetime.
Her actuarial career path to date,Her views on “imposter syndrome” and why people can experience this, Her tips for people building their confidence as presenters, Her tips for people building their confidence speaking in meetings and delegating tasks, and Her advice for actuaries stepping into their first management roles.
In this interview Jananie shares:Connect with Jananie on LinkedIn.
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Shivani Juneja is an experienced actuary who has worked in life insurance for over 10 years. She has worked across valuations, pricing, actuarial systems, pricing review, supporting appointed actuary CPS 320 advice and is currently working in a project-based role within the reinsurance and capital space.
How moving from India to Australia taught her valuable leadership skills,What she learned about leadership from working across a range of actuarial functions, andWhat she sees as key characteristics of effective people leaders.
Shivani was born and raised in India, where she started her actuarial studies. She then moved to Australia where she completed her fellowship exams. Shivani is married and is a mum to two beautiful boys.
In this interview, Shivani shares:Connect with Shivani on LinkedIn.
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Emma Vitz is a consultant working in general insurance pricing, natural perils and climate risk at Finity Consulting. Originally from New Zealand, Emma studied Psychology and Statistics before pivoting into an actuarial career. She has a strong interest in communicating complex topics in an interesting and accessible way for a broad range of audiences. Following on from the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, Emma appeared on live TV and radio to discuss the impact that the largest non-earthquake disaster would have on insurance affordability and availability. She has also written data journalism pieces on everything from housing to healthcare and truancy. Her data visualisations have been presented to the New Zealand Housing Minister on live television and viewed hundreds of thousands of times online. Emma has also presented at a variety of conferences in New Zealand, Australia and in international forums.
Her unconventional path into actuarial science,Why she has spent so much time focusing on communication skills, and what other actuaries could gain from developing similar skills, andHow she applies actuarial thinking to her career more broadly
In this interview, Emma shares:Connect with Emma on LinkedIn.
Articles: The SpinoffArticle: Climate change and insurance: Weighing up the riskInterview: Emma Vitz: How Cyclone Gabrielle will affect insurance industry | Q+A 2023Article: Insurance retreat: Homeowners in flood-prone areas abandoned and facing risk
More of Emma's work:We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.
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Jon is a Data Science Actuary who has designed and delivered successful AI initiatives across all areas of insurance and banking, including pricing, customer personalisation, claims operations, web and mobile app development, and intelligent automation.
Jon believes actuaries have an integral role in managing the responsible use of AI in society. To this end, he has actively participated across all aspects of the Actuaries Institute’s data science strategy, including education, events, and public policy submissions.
Jon is a regular speaker in data conferences and podcasts, a Councillor of the Actuaries Institute, and in 2022 he was recognised as one of the Top 10 Analytics Leaders in Australia.
How he uses his actuarial superpowers to help insurers better serve their customers, Whether he thinks AI will take our jobs, and What actuaries can do now to future-proof their careers.
In this interview, Jon shares:Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.
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Kelly is currently a Senior Actuarial Consultant at WorkSafe Victoria, providing internal consultancy support to the scheme. She started her career as an actuarial analyst in workers' compensation at Return to Work South Australia. She then worked as a Senior Manager at PwC, specialising in working with accident compensation schemes and government insurance authorities for 10 years.
Her challenges in starting her actuarial career as an international students, Her experience of combining work and parenthood without local family support or childcare (hello, Covid lockdowns!), How she made time to complete the GA Leadership Program while working full-time and parenting her young son, How taking an alternative career path has come with unexpected benefits, and What she’s learned from combining parenthood with her actuarial career.
She was born and raised in Malaysia, and currently lives in Melbourne with her family. Outside of work, she loves watching her 3-year old son grow into a cheeky and curious little human (and tries to bake/cook/read whenever she can)! She is also an active volunteer with the Actuaries Institute.
In this interview, Kelly shares:Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.
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Charlie is a Senior Valuation Actuary from SCOR Reinsurance APAC L&H Reserving, located in Singapore. His role primarily involves reviewing and supporting APAC local valuation teams in Group reporting activities, including IFRS17 and Solvency-II reporting, experience analysis, Prophet modelling, internal retrocessions, and process enhancements. Currently he is working closely with Korea valuation team to support their Group reporting stream.
In 2022, Charlie relocated to Singapore with his young family, thanks to SCOR’s internal mobility, allowing him to transition from ANZ valuation team. Prior to SCOR, Charlie worked in reporting roles for direct life insurers, including economic valuation, regulatory capital, and Prophet modelling.
In this interview, Charlie shares:
His experience moving from China to Australia as a teenager, His recent experience moving his young family to Singapore for work, What he’s learned working as a leader with new teams across different countries, Lessons about great leadership he’s learned from working with his own managers, How he learned the skills he needed to be effective in a leadership role, and His top tip for actuaries wanting to build their skills to take on leadership roles.Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn.
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Adam Butt is the Head of Actuarial Studies at Australian National University. Prior to commencing his career in academia in 2005, he worked as a superannuation consultant at Aon Consulting. Adam’s research interests focus on superannuation and personal financial decision making, and actuarial education. Adam’s research has been published in a number of top-ranked journals including Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Annals of Actuarial Science, The Economic Record, and Journal of Economic Behaviour & Organisation. He is passionate about actuarial education and ensuring that graduates are prepared not just with a technical education, but also with knowledge of themselves and an orientation to lifelong learning.
Why he chose to become a university lecturer after qualifying, His philosophy on teaching and education, The most valuable skills actuarial students can learn at university and elsewhere, How to improve gender and other representation in actuarial student cohorts.
In this interview, Adam shares:Connect with Adam on LinkedIn.
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Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia and Guardian Actuarial on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website. - Vis mere
