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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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Daphna Horowitz is a qualified actuary currently based in Israel. But these days you won’t find Daphna calculating insurance premiums or reserves – she is a Master Certified Coach who helps high-performing CEOs to up their game in business and become confident, inspiring leaders. Daphna works with leaders and teams across the globe to transform leadership effectiveness and workplace culture by digging deep into leadership habits of self-awareness, leading people, purpose, strategy, leading change and enabling extraordinary leadership in themselves and their teams.
She’s worked across Africa, Europe, China and India, with large organisations such as Barclays Bank and Coca-Cola.
Before establishing her coaching career, Daphna worked in insurance and consulting, quickly rising to Director level. She held the position of Lecturer at the two largest universities in Johannesburg while managing her own actuarial consulting company and corporate event management company.
Daphna hosts the Leadership Live podcast and is a published author of Courage to Lead: Leadership Lessons from Kilimanjaro and Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders.
In this interview, Daphna shares:
How she helps actuaries make the transition to the C-suite, Common challenges she sees actuaries making as they transition to the C-suite, What a CEO coaching session looks like and how it typically works, and Her top tip for actuaries aspiring to C-suite roles.Learn more about Daphna and her work here.
Connect with Daphna on LinkedIn.
Read Daphna’s books: “Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders” “Courage to Lead: Leadership Lessons from Kilimanjaro”
Read “What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful” by Marshall Goldsmith.
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Elayne Grace, CEO of the Actuaries Institute, leads the actuarial professional body known for its education program, professional standards and contribution to public policy thought leadership.
With 25 years of international experience spanning consulting firms and insurance companies, she provided strategic, economic and financial advice, Elayne played a pivotal role in nurturing early collaborations between businesses, scientists, and NGOs to address climate change and risk. She is a frequent presenter at conferences and has contributed to various thought leadership papers ranging from climate change to Big Data. Elayne's advisory roles have included serving on Commonwealth Treasury expert panel and advising the Indigenous Land Corporation Board on long-term investment sustainability.
In 2019, Elayne was recognised in The Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence awards. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.
In this interview, Elayne shares:
Her journey, wins and challenges as the Actuaries Institute CEO, What successful actuaries have in common, How being clear on her “purpose” has helped to become an authentic and confident leader, and Her advice for actuaries wanting to achieve actuarial success.We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.
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Stuart Turner is an actuary with over 25 years of experience working in life insurance and wealth management, in both corporate and consulting roles. He is currently working at Zurich Financial Services, and was previously a Partner at EY.
Stuart is the Chair of the Professionalism Committee. He has developed an interest in ethics through being a volunteer ethics teacher at his children’s primary school and presenting the Actuaries Institute Professionalism Course content on ethical reasoning.
In this interview, Stuart shares:
How a career break created an opportunity to become a volunteer ethics teacher, The types of ethical dilemmas that actuaries might face across the career continuum, Some future ethical dilemmas actuaries should be prepared for, Practical ways that actuaries can improve their ethical decision-making skills, and His advice to actuaries who find themselves facing an ethical dilemma.Read: “Flexing your ethical muscles” by Stuart Turner, Actuaries Digital article
Professional training videos (Actuaries Institute members only link)Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn
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Julia is a qualified actuary, certified coach and the Director of Guardian Actuarial. She is leading a mission to foster forward-thinking leaders in the actuarial industry and runs the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program to help actuaries build their communication, management and leadership skills.
In this interview, Julia shares:
Why she became an actuary, How she started her actuarial career as a mum of three small children, How she navigated the leap from stable employment to starting a consulting business, How she pivoted from actuarial consulting to leadership training, What’s next for Guardian Actuarial.Find out more about the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program
Visit Julia’s YouTube channel
Read Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Connect with Stephen Huppert on LinkedInWe are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.
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In this episode, Julia recaps our top episodes and themes from the 30 interviews we’ve published since the We Are Actuaries podcast was born.
Episodes mentioned in order:Data science: 6 Daniel Stone | 4 Amanda Aitken | 12 Dr Genevieve Hayes
Climate Change: 9 Sharanjit Paddam | 28 Ruby Smith
Actuaries making a difference: 19 David Gifford | Kirsten Armstrong 21
And in super: 11 Stephen Huppert | 29 Aidan Nguyen
Emerging leaders: 1 Laura Zhao | 7 Desmond Muzorewa | 8 Dan Wang | 13 Alison Visser | 18 Michael Storozhev | 20 Cameron Morris | 23 Alan Hsu | 26 Alex Leung
Leadership reflections from experienced leaders: 2 Stephen Huppert | 3 Ryan Boyd | 10 Jennifer Lang
Wellbeing: 14 Martin Mulcare | 15 Janice Jones | 17 James Beng Lee | 25 Sheridan Daniels
Career advice: 16 Mark Barda | 22 Chris Dolman | 24 Mark Baxter | 27 John Harney | 30 Vy Le | 5 Kim Clough
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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. - Se mer
