Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast We Are Actuaries
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off the Beaten Path with Iris Lun | 02 Dec 2025 | 00:27:58 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary of the Year, 2025, Iris Lun shares her reflections on her unconventional actuarial career path. Iris Lun is the 2025 Actuary of the Year and co-founder of 10Life, a Hong Kong insurtech platform bringing fair insurance to over 2.3 million active users annually. With 25 years of international actuarial experience, Iris has held leadership roles across multinational insurance institutions and global consultancies before taking the unconventional path of insurtech entrepreneurship. A passionate advocate for diversity, innovation, and responsible AI for actuaries, Iris is an active volunteer in the Actuarial Society of Hong Kong, the Actuaries Institute and the International Actuarial Association. She was a 2023 finalist for the Advance Global Australian Award in Technology & Entrepreneurship. Iris holds degrees in Actuarial Studies and Japanese from the University of Melbourne. In this interview, Iris shares: - Her experience leaving home to work and travel globally as a young actuary, - The pros and cons of switching roles and going for non-traditional actuarial roles, and - The ups and downs of running a start-up as an (older) actuary. - Connect with Iris on LinkedIn. - Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| The Edge of Comfort: Louis Lee on Actuarial Career Pivots | 25 Nov 2025 | 00:34:16 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary, senior leader and newly elected Actuaries Institute Councillor Louis Lee shares how he stepped outside his comfort zone to build an interesting and diverse actuarial career across the globe. In this interview, Louis shares: - How actuaries should not fear failing at any new tasks, - How actuaries can pivot to any industry, and to any roles, and - How AI will accelerate actuaries in adapting to new careers. Louis is the Managing Director APAC of CoverGo, where he leads CoverGo’s business development functions in the Asia Pacific region. He is also leading the Generative AI solutions for CoverGo’s clients. Louis has more than 20 years experience in the insurance industry across a number of countries in the whole region including Hong Kong, Singapore, South East Asia, Australia, and Japan, during which time he has held a number of senior roles of multinational insurance companies including Scor, FWD, Allianz, and Suncorp. He has been a Partner at Deloitte. Louis specialises in digital transformation, and has implemented solutions for insurers on digital distribution, customer journey design, core system modernizations, Generative AI development, and product propositions. He has worked across all insurance sectors including Life, Health, and General insurance, and has also owned the P&L for a number of portfolios. In particular, he has extensive experience on individual and group medical portfolios, helping insurers in Asia Pacific in transforming their underwriting & claims operations, systems, and profitability. Louis has been an active speaker and contributor in the insurance community over the years. He has spoken at events on topics such as “Unlocking the Value of Generative AI”; “Next-Gen: AI-Enabled Distribution”; “Launching Digital Product with a Customer Lens”; “Opportunities and Challenges of Cross-Border Health Insurance”; “Data and AI for Insurance Applications” amongst a number of speaking engagements. - Connect with Louis on LinkedIn. - Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not represent the views of their places of work. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Get Involved with Volunteering with Adam Barrow | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:28:21 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary Adam Barrow shares how volunteering has helped his actuarial career. In this interview, Adam shares: - The best point in your career to get involved in volunteering, - How volunteering has helped him build his professional network, and - What actuaries should consider when getting involved in volunteering. Adam is the Product Actuary at UniSuper and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia (FIAA). He specialises in Defined Benefits, Insurance, and Retirement matters relating to Superannuation, and has a passion for member outcomes and improving the retirement experience for all. Adam is an active volunteer for the Actuaries Institute and was awarded the 2025 Young Volunteer Achievement Award. He is currently a member of the Superannuation and Investment Practice Committee (SIPC), the Chair of the Member Services Sub Committee (MSSC), is an SME for Superannuation on the Life Insurance and Retirement Education Faculty (LIREF), and is a part of the Actuaries Institute Ambassador Program. In his spare time, he tries to remain active and find a new quality cup of coffee. - Connect with Adam on LinkedIn. - Visit the Actuaries Institute volunteering page. - Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not represent the views of their places of work. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Be An Ethical Data Scientist with Lizzie Eason | 08 Jul 2025 | 00:34:14 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary and data scientist Lizzie Eason shares her tips on how actuaries can be ethical data scientists. In this interview, Lizzie shares: - Why ethics is important for actuaries in data science, - Some of the regulatory considerations affecting data scientists, and - How she navigates ethics as a data scientist. Lizzie Eason, ACAS is a contagiously curious, enthusiastic, relationship-driven storyteller. With the cadence of a comedian and the toolbox of a data scientist, she serves as both a skilled builder and engaging translator of data-driven models. In her current role on a budding data science team, her work as a data detective reveals insights so intriguing that business partners can’t help but wonder about what more data could reveal! Lizzie graduated top of her class from Grinnell College in 2017 with a degree in Mathematics & Statistics. She obtained her ACAS in 2023 and has worked primarily in predictive modeling for pricing segmentation and a myriad of other business applications. In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, partner acrobatics, and hiking with her cats. Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn. Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Change Practice Areas with Barry Leung | 24 Jun 2025 | 00:33:16 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary and senior leader Barry Leung shares tips on how actuaries transfer their skills into different areas. In this interview, Barry shares: - How he uses his actuarial skills to improve outcomes across different settings, - What he learned from taking secondments in marketing and recruitment, and - How he overcomes doubt or fear when considering a role in a new area. Barry is currently the Executive General Manager – Performance at MIPS, a medical indemnity organisation with members across Australia. He has experience working in the healthcare and insurance sectors, holding a number of senior roles across major health insurers including Medibank and Defence Health. Barry is passionate about better health for all. Prior to joining MIPS, he was an Impact Insurance Fellow with the International Labour Organisation, advising the National Health Insurance Authority in Ghana West Africa on the country’s universal health cover scheme. In between his day job and transporting his children to different extra- curricular activities, he is also involved in a local charity and is a Director of Mater Christi College in Belgrave Victoria. - Connect with Barry on LinkedIn. - Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Navigate Redundancy with Kevin Cattaway | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:36:45 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Analytics leader Kevin Cattaway shares tips on how actuaries can navigate redundancy. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Strategic Thinking with Alissa Holz | 27 May 2025 | 00:30:25 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Special interview by Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program graduates Jennifer Ng and Peter Whittigan.
Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Build Your Network with Lisa Staker | 20 May 2025 | 00:35:31 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary and leadership coach Lisa Staker shares how actuaries can build an effective professional network. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Cope with Qualifying as an Actuary with Jeremy Keating | 06 May 2025 | 00:35:22 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced pricing actuary, author and founder of Price Writer, Jeremy Keating reflects about how his experience of qualifying as an actuary wasn’t as easy as he expected. In this interview, Jeremy shares: - Why he thinks we need to celebrate getting qualified differently, - How his transition from being a student to a qualified actuary was more difficult than expected, and - Practical strategies to thrive post-qualification. Jeremy Keating is the founder of Price Writer, a learning and development company for insurance pricing professionals. He qualified as an actuary in 2013, a proud milestone, though the shift from student to qualified actuary proved more challenging than expected. Drawing on his experience in pricing, he wrote a book that’s helped many grow their careers and navigate this field. The Price Writer program supports over 190 members, including teams from some of the largest insurance companies. Their vision is to grow this to 1,000 members and make pricing professionals the most respected leaders in insurance - Contact Jeremy: https://pricewriters.com/ - Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-keating/ - Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing Read Jeremy's book Price Writer: The Nine-Step Method to Becoming a Highly Successful General Insurance Pricing Leader. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Sell AI (and Yourself) as an Actuary with Claire Wang | 22 Apr 2025 | 00:29:42 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced pricing actuary and structured communication expert Claire Wang shares how actuaries can thrive in the AI era. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to build communication and leadership skills | 15 Apr 2025 | 00:29:06 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! In this interview, Bill Marella (CEO ACTEX Learning) and Julia Lessing (Author of Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager's Toolkit) discuss the power of communication and leadership skills in helping actuaries build great careers.
Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to take a career break without ending your actuarial career with Linley Baker | 08 Apr 2025 | 00:27:33 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! After graduating with high honors from the Wharton School of Business, Linley pursued a successful actuarial career. She quit to raise her 6 children for 19 years in 4 countries. During this time she worked part-time as a college professor in China and the US, teaching China’s first actuarial college courses, and also earned a master of music degree in viola performance from Ball State University. Linley returned to her profession and in 5 years was promoted to full vice president. She currently works as an actuary for Unum Group in Voluntary Benefits. Linley has volunteered with the Society of Actuaries’ Education and Examination Committee since 1990. She speaks 4 languages and is also an international best-selling author. In this interview, Linley shares:
Connect with Linley on LinkedIn. Read Linley’s books:
Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| The Missing Skills: Martin Mulcare on Actuarial Leadership | 11 Nov 2025 | 00:37:03 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary, adviser and GA Senior Leadership Program co-facilitator Martin Mulcare shares how he learned what he didn’t know he needed to learn as he stepped into his first general management role. In this interview, Martin shares: - The critical leadership skills actuaries need beyond technical expertise, including strategic thinking, leading diverse teams, and influencing, - How he built these skills through different approaches, including intensive courses, internal mentoring, and executive coaching, - His tips for actuaries wanting to prepare for leadership roles. Martin is a qualified actuary, experienced senior leader and a talented facilitator. He enjoys working with different types of people and he loves sharing ideas. Formerly the facilitator of the Professionalism Course, Martin is a member of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Ethics Centre and is the Chairman of the Board of The Growth Project. Connect with Martin on LinkedIn. Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not represent the views of their places of work. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to describe what you do as an actuary with Catrin Townsend | 25 Mar 2025 | 00:31:28 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Qualified actuary, motor pricing manager and author Catrin Townsend reflects on the importance of being able to explain what you do as an actuary to others, and how she does this.
Connect with Catrin on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Next Gen Actuaries with Ben Howe | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:22:39 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Ben qualified as an actuary through the Actuaries Institute of Australia and is also certified as an actuary through the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in the UK. In Australia, he has worked in actuarial consulting across long tail reserving and pricing, perils modelling and government projects. He currently works in the London market for a Lloyds syndicate as a reserving actuary. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries in the Boardroom with Elaine Collins | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:22:56 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Elaine Collins, BSc(Hons), MEc, FIAA, FAICD, is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She spent 10+ years in Appointed Actuary roles, firstly with KPMG, then as Partner of Deloitte.
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| From Data to Strategy with Holly Briffa | 19 Nov 2024 | 00:39:16 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Read Holly’s article on the Double Diamond framework. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries as Content Creators with Dominic Lee | 12 Nov 2024 | 01:04:51 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
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. Watch Dominic’s talk “Beyond Insurance - Actuarial Science TED-style Talk”. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Next Gen Actuaries with Siddhant Gandhi | 29 Oct 2024 | 00:21:53 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Read Sidd’s Under the Spotlight article here. Connect with Sidd on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| The Analytics Spice Rack with Victor Bajanov | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:30:52 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Victor on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuarial Education with Mike Callan | 01 Oct 2024 | 00:30:26 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries in Social Policy with Maathu Ranjan | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:30:18 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Connect with Maathu on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Building C-Suite Trust in AI with Colin Priest | 03 Sep 2024 | 00:42:06 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Colin on LinkedIn Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Next Gen Actuaries with Daniel Bartlett | 28 Oct 2025 | 00:28:26 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! New Fellow Daniel Bartlett shares his path from high school teacher to qualified actuary and his career highlights to date. Daniel is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries Australia, working as a consultant at McGing Advisory & Actuarial. Working across broad financial services Daniel has experience working across traditional actuarial fields such as superannuation and wealth management, life insurance and friendly societies, while also having done a fair share of work in non-traditional actuarial fields. Daniel manages both quantitative technical projects such as modelling, valuations, remediations and unit pricing; while also managing qualitative projects including risk management and compliance reviews, systems and process reviews and migrations, product design advice, governance and board advisory services. Previously, Daniel worked in insurance underwriting and claims management roles, and worked as a high school mathematics and history teacher. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys being active physically and socially, he enjoys playing sports and musical instruments as well as the occasional video game. In this interview, Daniel shares: - His pathway from high school teacher to actuary, - Some highlights from his actuarial career to date, and - His advice for actuaries pursuing Fellowship. - Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn. - Find out more about McGing Advisory & Actuarial. - Connect with Julia on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| AI in Actuarial Education with Jeff Yang | 20 Aug 2024 | 00:25:58 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Jeff Yang on YouTube. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries Leading AI Adoption with Jared Spowart | 06 Aug 2024 | 00:45:35 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Connect with Jared on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| A Multicultural Journey with Win-Li Toh | 23 Jul 2024 | 00:29:19 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Win-Li on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| STEM Skills for Good with Naomi Edwards | 09 Jul 2024 | 00:32:28 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Connect with Naomi on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries as Entrepreneurs with Ilan Leas | 25 Jun 2024 | 00:32:30 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries Using Data for Good with Andrew Ngai | 11 Jun 2024 | 00:29:50 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Communicating Confidently with Dr Jananie William | 28 May 2024 | 00:40:20 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Jananie on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Self Leadership with Shivani Juneja | 14 May 2024 | 00:28:56 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Shivani on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries as Communicators with Emma Vitz | 30 Apr 2024 | 00:21:23 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Emma on LinkedIn.
Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries of the Future with Jon Shen | 16 Apr 2024 | 00:35:14 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Jon on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Apply Non-Business Skills at Work with James McAtamney | 14 Oct 2025 | 00:29:48 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary and musician James McAtamney shares what he’s learned from music and growing up in a family business that has helped him build valuable skills that he’s transferred to the workplace. James McAtamney is an actuary and musician working as an independent senior advisor and entrepreneur in Australia and internationally. He is the Founder and Managing Director of McAtamney & Advisors, Principal of Vanguard Overwatch, and Co-Founder of Timbre Collective. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries as Parents with Kelly Lee | 02 Apr 2024 | 00:23:11 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Emerging Actuarial Leaders with Charlie Li | 19 Mar 2024 | 00:33:56 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries as Educators with Adam Butt | 05 Mar 2024 | 00:34:46 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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.
Connect with Adam on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries in the C-Suite with Daphna Horowitz | 20 Feb 2024 | 00:45:36 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
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. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuarial Success with Elayne Grace | 06 Feb 2024 | 00:26:53 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
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| Actuaries and Ethics with Stuart Turner | 23 Jan 2024 | 00:35:35 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Read: “Flexing your ethical muscles” by Stuart Turner, Actuaries Digital article Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Career Transitions with Julia Lessing | 09 Jan 2024 | 00:32:33 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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:
Find out more about the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| 2023 Round Up | 26 Dec 2023 | 00:14:33 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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. 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 Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries as YouTubers with Vy Le | 12 Dec 2023 | 00:26:06 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Vy Le is a purpose-driven, qualified actuary based in Canada. She is the host of V Life Journal - Actuary, Career & Well-being, a YouTube channel dedicated to providing exclusive insights and advice on topics related to actuarial science, career development, productivity, and well-being. Through Vy’s channel, she guides young professionals in their career planning related to maths, data, and tech, while also sharing effective productivity hacks and learning strategies. Vy is also a lifelong learner and multi-passionate creative-preneur. She holds several professional designations, including FSA, FCIA, CERA, CFA, and MBA. She’s also currently completing a Master’s in Computer and Information Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, exploring the intersection of technology and business and developing skills in programming, data analysis, and more. With 10+ years of experience as a risk management leader in the insurance industry, Vy is committed to driving growth and managing risk with a strong foundation in actuarial science and business strategy. In this interview, Vy shares:
See Vy's interview in The Actuary "Actuarial Adventures in Social Media" Connect with Vy on LinkedIn Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Actuaries in Policy with Aidan Nguyen | 28 Nov 2023 | 00:31:50 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Aidan is an actuary working in public policy. In his current role within the Actuaries Institute’s Public Policy Team, he helps to channel the voice of the actuarial profession as a trusted adviser and honest broker to get better retirement income and life insurance policy and regulation. Aidan previously worked in policy at a peak industry body and before that as an actuarial consultant both within the superannuation and the life insurance industries. Outside of work, Aidan loves to stay connected with family and friends, and planning that next adventure.
“What is a good customer outcome?” Aidan Nguyen, Actuaries Digital article Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| How to Apply Non-Business Skills at Work with Bianka Grange | 30 Sep 2025 | 00:24:06 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary Bianka Grange shares what she’s learned from volunteering as a Primary Ethics teacher at her children’s school and how those skills have helped her in the workplace. “Give yourself an opportunity to try something new, even if it feels a little bit scary, even if it feels like something that you're not gonna be very good at. You don't have to do it forever, you can just do it for a little bit of time. At the end of it, if you take a moment to reflect on it, you'll find that you've learned something”, says Bianka Grange. In this interview, Bianka shares: - How practising neutrality as a facilitator creates safe spaces for diverse perspectives, - How creating space between reaction and response improves workplace communication, and - How low-stakes presentation practice builds confidence for high-pressure moments. “Not only does Bianka highlight the importance of self-reflection, she also provides some practical guidance on how to more regularly implement it.”, says guest host Martin Mulcare. Bianka Grange is the Executive Manager for VERO SME Packages, where she leads a dynamic team focused on delivering insurance solutions for small and medium enterprises. She is an Associate of the Institute of Actuaries with 20 years’ experience in all things SME Packages – portfolio management, strategic performance, underwriting, product, pricing, and data & analytics. Her strong technical and operational management, coupled with a passion for people, make her an active and engaged leader who consistently leads from the front. Bianka is known for her vibrant personality and her passion for volunteering. She is a Primary Ethics teacher who enjoys exploring both personal and professional ethics. She was the Co-Chair of the Actuaries Institute Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, leading the Associates Edition and contributing to the Associates Advisory Task Force. She firmly believes in being the change you wish to see and making meaningful progress in areas that personally matter. Bianka brings energy and enthusiasm to everything she does and if she’s not talking your ear off about SME Insurance, she’s enjoying time with her family and neighbours. Our guest host, Martin Mulcare, is a qualified actuary, experienced senior leader and a talented facilitator. He enjoys working with different types of people and he loves sharing ideas. Formerly the facilitator of the Professionalism Course, Martin is a member of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Ethics Centre and is the Chairman of the Board of The Growth Project. - Connect with Bianka on LinkedIn. - Connect with Martin on LinkedIn. Views and opinions expressed by guests on this Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:
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| Next Gen Actuaries with Ruby Smith | 14 Nov 2023 | 00:22:23 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Ruby is a qualified actuary working in Finity's Climate Analytics practice, focusing on physical risk, transition risk and modelling of long term climate-related issues. Passionate about the environment, Ruby is a member of the Institute’s Climate and Sustainability Working Group, with particular interests in decarbonisation, risk quantification and the social impacts of climate change. In this interview, Ruby shares:
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| Actuaries as Storytellers with John Harney | 31 Oct 2023 | 00:35:42 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! John is a senior pensions professional, working primarily with companies who sponsor UK pension schemes. John is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary. Originally hailing from Ireland, he has worked in the pensions industry for almost 10 years, having studied Actuarial and Financial Maths at Dublin City University. John has worked on various projects for pensions schemes, including exercises to help members have more options for the form in which they receive their benefits, as well as helping schemes develop their long-term strategies. A passionate speaker, he has told stories in an array of contexts to a variety of audiences. He is also passionate about the power of social media, particularly LinkedIn, in giving pensions issues and wider actuarial issues a bigger public voice. Outside of work, John is passionate about walking his dogs, travel, reading, cooking and music. In this interview, John shares:
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| Emerging Actuarial Leaders with Alex Leung | 17 Oct 2023 | 00:23:17 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Alex is a senior actuary of the Wealth Protection valuation team in ResolutionLife Australasia, managing the technical and delivery aspects of management and regulatory reporting. In this role, Alex is also involved in transformation projects such as separation from AMP, US GAAP, and IFRS17. Alex has 10+ years of experience in valuation, pricing strategy, and data analytics across life insurance, wealth management, and banking practices. He spent 3.5 years working in Hong Kong in his early career but relocated back to Sydney in 2013, and in the same year he completed his actuarial and CFA exams. Alex has been an active volunteer at both the Actuaries’ Institute and the CFA Society Sydney, focusing on education development and mentoring. He is also a graduate of the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program. Alex has a strong desire to develop skills in stakeholder engagement and strategy, while at home he is expecting a second child later in 2023. In this interview, Alex shares his reflections about:
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| Awakening Human Potential with Sheridan Daniels | 03 Oct 2023 | 00:36:08 | |
Tell us what you thought of this episode! Sheridan is an actuary with the Transport Accident Commission in Geelong. She has previously worked in a variety of roles across corporate, consultancy, a regulator and a fintech start-up. She has also spent much of the past 20 years living and training in traditional yoga ashrams in India and Australia. A qualified yoga teacher since 2008, Sheridan has conducted yoga classes, retreats, workshops and lectures, sharing the different branches of yogic knowledge. Her focus is on cultivating awareness and the practical application of yogic tools in daily life, and maintaining the purity of tradition. In this interview, Sheridan shares her reflections about:
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