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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. 

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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.  

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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. 

In this interview, Catrin shares: 

• The importance of being able to describe what you do at work,
• How she describes what she does as an actuary, and
• A simple process anyone can follow to discover their own mission statement.

Connect with Catrin on LinkedIn.

Read Catrin’s book, “A Risky Business: An Actuary’s Guide to Quantifying and Managing Risk in Society”

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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.

Outside of his professional life, he enjoys keeping active and travelling.

Read more about the Ambassador Program.
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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. 

Subsequently, Elaine has spent 10+ years a Non-Executive Director, ten years on the Board of Zurich Insurance, nine years as a Board Member of the ARPC and currently holds three Boards roles: RACV, ANZLMI and Ivory Insurance. Throughout this time, she chaired Board Committees, including Risk, Audit, Customer and Pricing. 

Elaine has 25+ years’ insurance industry experience with expertise in capital efficiency, strategic risk and effective governance within organisations. She enhances linkages between the industry and academia in her role as a Professor of Practice in the School of Risk & Actuarial with the UNSW Business School. Elaine has served on several Institute Committees, including the GIPC and the Professional Practice Committee. 

In this interview, Elaine shares: 

• How she sees actuaries adding value in the boardroom; 
• Current topics organisations are facing and how she sees actuaries adding value; 
• Why collegiality is critical for boards to be effective; 
• Tips for actuaries wanting to contribute in the boardroom; and 
• How she creates balance in her life, while enjoying a diverse and challenging career. 

Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn.

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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.
 
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:

• 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; and
• Why she decided to return to study to pursue her Fellowship exams.

Read Holly’s article on the Double Diamond framework.
Connect with Holly on LinkedIn.

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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. 

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: 

• 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. 

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. 

In this interview, Victor shares:  

• Why analogies are so powerful, 
• Examples of powerful analogies in business, and 
• His process, and tips, for generating powerful analogies. 

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.

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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 policy

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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.

In this interview, Colin shares:  

• 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. 

Connect with Colin on LinkedIn
Watch: The Behavioural Science of AI Governance – ICA2023
Watch: How to Build C-Suite Trust in AI

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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.

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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. 
 
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: 

• 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.  

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.

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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. 

In this interview, Win-Li shares:  

• 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. 

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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. 

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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.

In this interview, Ilan shares: 

• How he found the courage to leave stable employment to build a business;
• What supports he found helpful on his start-up journey, and
• His advice for actuaries considering leaving employment to start a business. 

Find out more about Ilan and retender

Connect with Ilan on LinkedIn

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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. 

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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.

In this interview Jananie shares: 

• 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.

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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. 

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:

• How moving from India to Australia taught her valuable leadership skills,
• What she learned about leadership from working across a range of actuarial functions, and
• What she sees as key characteristics of effective people leaders.

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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.  

In this interview, Emma shares: 

• 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, and
• How she applies actuarial thinking to her career more broadly 

Connect with Emma on LinkedIn.

More of Emma's work:

• Articles: The Spinoff
• Article: Climate change and insurance: Weighing up the risk
• Interview: Emma Vitz: How Cyclone Gabrielle will affect insurance industry | Q+A 2023
• Article: Insurance retreat: Homeowners in flood-prone areas abandoned and facing risk

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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. 

In this interview, Jon shares:  

• 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.  

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Analytics leader Kevin Cattaway shares tips on how actuaries can navigate redundancy.

In this interview, Kevin shares:
- His own experience of redundancy,
- How he leveraged his network to find a new role, and
- His advice for anyone facing redundancy.

Kevin Cattaway is a data, analytics and insights professional with 26 years of experience across private and public sectors, primarily working in general insurance. With experience across diverse business functions including actuarial, customer & marketing, technology, finance, claims, portfolio and risk. And 19 years in leadership roles, having built and led analytics and actuarial teams delivering strategic insights to inform business decisions.

- Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn. 
- Connect with Julia 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.  

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: 

• 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. 

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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. 

In this interview, Adam shares: 

• 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.

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.

Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"

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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. 

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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)

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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 LinkedIn

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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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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: 

• Why she started a YouTube channel, 
• Tips to feel confident in front of the camera, 
• Her process for selecting content and finding guests for her channel, 
• What she finds challenging about running a YouTube channel, 
• How she uses ChatGPT in her daily work,  
• The key skill actuaries need to be successful in a world with AI, and 
• Her top tip for actuaries wanting to become YouTubers. 

See Vy's YouTube Channel

See Vy's interview in The Actuary "Actuarial Adventures in Social Media"  

Connect with Vy on LinkedIn

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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. 

In this interview, Aidan shares: 

• Why he decided to move into a policy role after qualifying as an actuary, 
• His career highlights as an actuary working in public policy, 
• What he finds challenging about working in public policy, 
• Why intergenerational equity is an area where he thinks actuaries could play a bigger role, and 
• His top tip for actuaries wanting to work in public policy. 

“What is a good customer outcome?” Aidan Nguyen, Actuaries Digital article
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Special interview by Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program graduates Jennifer Ng and Peter Whittigan. 

In this interview, guest hosts Jennifer and Peter put strategic thinking under the microscope with Alissa Holz, CEO of RGA Australia and New Zealand. 

Peter and Jennifer asked: 

1. What made you want to move from being an actuary to taking on the CEO role? Was that always the plan, or did it just happen over time?

2. How do you define “strategic thinking” within the context of a life reinsurance business?

3. What frameworks or tools do you rely on when formulating strategy?

4. As CEO, you’re bound to make decisions not everyone agrees with—how do you handle those moments when you have to go against the grain or make an unpopular call?

5. How do you balance short term targets or objectives with long term strategic goals?

Alissa Holz is Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, RGA Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), for RGA Reinsurance Australia. Appointed to the role of CEO in April 2025, she has overall responsibility for the management of RGA’s operations in ANZ, including strategy, client engagement and financial results. With over 25 years of experience in the life insurance industry, Alissa brings a wealth of client experience and depth of market knowledge to her role with a proven track record of leadership within RGA. Alissa received her Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Mathematics from the Queensland University of Technology, is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia (FIAA) and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).

Jennifer Ng is a Principal Pricing Actuary at Gen Re with over 18 years of life insurance experience in the Australian and Asia. Jennifer has extensive experience in group and retail pricing and held roles at both local and regional levels in a global reinsurer, where she was responsible for leading pricing tenders, assessing profitability of existing portfolios and providing pricing oversight to local offices. Before joining Gen Re, Jennifer was a Director in Deloitte’s Consulting practice in Australia.
Jennifer is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

Peter Whittigan is a qualified actuary with over 15 years’ experience in the general insurance industry. His career spans a diverse range of roles across reserving, capital management, and pricing, in both consulting and corporate environments. Peter brings deep expertise in both short-tail and long-tail insurance, covering personal and commercial lines. Currently at IAG, he is focused on the development and deployment of advanced machine learning models safely into live pricing systems.

Find out more about the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program: https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/ga-leadership-program

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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: 

• Why the environment is so important to her, 
• Her decision not to get qualified because she wanted to work in climate change,  
• Why she subsequently decided to pursue Fellowship,  
• What it was like presenting on the big stage at the Actuaries Summit, and  
• Her top tips for actuaries still working towards Fellowship. 

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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: 

• Why the art of storytelling is so important for actuaries and how storytelling has helped you in your career, 
• Some examples of situations where storytelling has helped you to achieve an outcome at work, and 
• Some practical “how to” tips and tactics that actuaries could try themselves to improve their storytelling skills. 

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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: 

• How great leaders use the power of “calm”, 
• What he enjoys about being a team leader. 
• What he has found challenging about being an actuary in a managerial role, and 
• His top tips for actuaries making the transition from individual contributors to team leaders. 

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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: 

• What she has learned from training in yoga tradition and living in an ashram, 
• Why she thinks that defining what wealth for ourselves is important for our well-being, 
• The power of visionary leadership, and 
• Her top tips for improving well-being.

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For the past 40 years Mark has had an extensive global career as a C-Suite executive and Director in complex financial services organisations in Sydney, Hong Kong, London & Cape Town with his main specialty being strategic risk management and developing and leading large complex and diverse teams.   

Being orphaned in his teenage years and from a working-class background - Mark developed a strong community focus and has supported a number of not-for-profit and arts organisations, many in the LGBTQ+ community both here and overseas.  Mark has also mentored a number of LGBTQIA+ students in developing their careers. 

In 2018 Mark was named one of Australia’s Top 50 LGBTQ+ Role Models by Deloitte and Google.  Mark prides himself on his values-driven leadership style.  He acknowledges that in all the C-Suites and Boards on which he has served, he has always been “the only gay in the village” with all the baggage that includes and he is keen to see talented people from under-represented groups be included in the highest levels of corporate Australia.  

Mark is currently on the Board of NSW Labor and Chairs its Audit & Risk Committee and is one of the founders of the Australian LGBTQIA+ Board & Executive Inclusion (ALBIE) initiative which is advocating for improved representation of LGBTQIA+ people on ASX Boards and better representation of all under-represented groups.  He recently contributed to the 2023 Governance Institute Board Diversity Report. 

He also recently obtained his Cert IV in Fitness and is a now a qualified personal trainer and group fitness instructor – and was the oldest in the class by a significant margin! 

In this interview, Mark shares his reflections about: 

• How his global actuarial career came about, 
• What he learned from his first international leadership role in Hong Kong at age 29,  
• How painting a childcare centre helped him to effectively build teams across different countries and cultures, 
• The value of his global experience when he came back to Australia, 
• Why he doesn’t like the term “non-actuaries”,  
• How diversity of thought improves business outcomes, and  
• His advice for actuaries considering pursuing a role overseas.

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Alan Hsu began his actuarial career at AXA Equitable, where he quickly developed a passion for pricing and product development. He has experience pricing life insurance products in the US and Australia, and he is currently working at New York Life pricing institutional life insurance products.  

A graduate of the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program, Alan is a strong believer in more personal and professional development opportunities in the workplace. In his spare time, he enjoys playing board games, dancing flamenco, and exploring new places. 

In this interview, Alan shares his reflections about: 

• His global actuarial career working across the US and Australia, 
• The importance of playing to your strengths when planning your career, 
• Why developing the capacity of your team members yields benefits, 
• How ballroom dancing, flamenco and playing Dungeons & Dragons has helped his career, 
• What managers can do to support good mental health in their teams, and 
• His advice for actuaries stepping into their first management roles.  

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Chris Dolman is an actuary working at IAG. His current role of Executive Manager, Data and Algorithmic Ethics helps to ensure that modern decision-making algorithms and other advanced uses of data are designed and implemented in an ethical, responsible and thoughtful way.  

Prior to this, Chris held a variety of senior management positions in the insurance industry and consulting, in Australia and the UK. Chris is an award-winning volunteer, researcher and Fellow of the Actuaries Institute, and a Gradient Institute Fellow. He was awarded ‘Actuary of the Year’ in 2022. 

In this interview, Chris shares his reflections about: 

• Being awarded Actuary of the Year, 
• The three personas he sees in the thought leadership space, 
• What he has enjoyed about becoming known as a thought leader, and 
• His views and advice on career planning.  

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Kirsten is an experienced non-executive director and strategic adviser with a 25-year career in health, disability, social insurance and international development. 

She currently leads Social Ventures Australia’s social impact bond work, supporting governments, social-purpose organisations and impact investors to create high impact projects that generate evidence and change the lives of Australia’s most vulnerable.  

In previous roles, Kirsten has helped governments introduce and reform their insurance systems, such as workers compensation in Russia, private health insurance in Hong Kong, motor insurance in Mongolia and retirement incomes systems in countries of the former Soviet Union. In Australia, Kirsten focussed on health system funding and reform as a Partner at PwC and a Principal at Taylor Fry. 

She was recognised as one of the AFR’s 100 Women of Influence for her work as an Executive Director at The Fred Hollows Foundation to bring impact investors to help end blindness in low income countries.  

Kirsten is a non-executive Director of icare NSW, disability service provider Northcott, and Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation WIRES.

In this interview, Kirsten shares her reflections about: 

• How she’s carved an actuarial career that connects with her purpose, 
• Building insurance schemes and restoring vision in developing countries, 
• Quantifying the financial benefits of social initiatives on a documentary,  
• What she thinks needs to be done to tackle wicked problems in public health, climate change and homelessness, and 
• Her tips for actuaries wanting to work in social impact. 

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Cameron is an actuary with four years’ experience working for a life reinsurer in Sydney. His experience has mostly involved valuation and regulatory capital work, and in addition he has recently become a manager for the first time.  

He is currently a Valuation Actuary at RGA and prior to this worked as an analyst in the valuation and pricing teams at the company. In his spare time he enjoys going for hikes with his wife and cuddling up with his two cats. 

In this interview, Cameron shares his reflections about:

• What he enjoys most about working as an actuary in a management role,
• What he found most challenging about becoming an actuarial manager, and
• His top tips for actuaries wanting to move into management roles.

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David is the Scheme Actuary for the NDIS. He has worked for nearly thirty years across social insurance, general insurance and government in both consulting and organisational roles. David was previously Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Risk Officer at the Transport Accident Commission, and held consulting roles for more than fifteen years, at PwC and most recently Quantium. 

David has a Bachelor of Economics and an MBA from Melbourne Business School and is currently undertaking a Master of Public Health at Melbourne University. 

In this interview, David shares his reflections about: 

• What it’s like being the Scheme Actuary for the NDIS, 
• The kind of work that the large team of actuaries and data scientists do for the NDIS, 
• What he finds interesting and challenging about his role, and 
• How actuaries from all professional backgrounds can carve themselves a career path in social services.   

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Experienced actuary and leadership coach Lisa Staker shares how actuaries can build an effective professional network.

In this interview, Lisa shares: 
- Her early struggles to build her professional network as an introvert, 
- Strategies to authentically build a successful network without feeling awkward, and
- How networking has led to job offers and unexpected benefits in her career.

Lisa Staker is an actuary, leadership coach, and founder of The Rebellious Coach. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, she built her career from school-leaver to Chief Actuary before shifting her focus to helping actuaries and other technical professionals take the next step in their careers. Known for her rebellious empathy and no-nonsense approach, Lisa blends mentoring and coaching to support those navigating promotions, role changes, and career crossroads. She’s passionate about challenging outdated norms and helping others lead with confidence, clarity, and purpose—without losing who they are in the process.

- Find out more about how Lisa can help you: https://therebelliouscoach.co.uk/ 
- Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lisa-staker 
- Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing

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Michael is an actuary with broad pricing, reserving, and capital experience across different products and global markets. Starting his journey at IAG and RACQ, Michael loved the technical focus but sought a deeper connection to customers and make a greater impact in the insurance industry. 

Following postgraduate studies abroad, Michael returned to accidentally take a temporary role in travel insurance. In it, however, discovered a captivating niche that reinvigorated his passion for the industry. It was here that Michael learned the importance of customer-centricity and data-driven innovation. 

The love for the niche, and the value actuaries can provide in it, allowed Michael to take a range of diverse roles during his 7 years at Cover-More Travel Insurance, Zurich Insurance’s Global Travel Insurance Arm most recently as General Manager for Strategic Underwriting for AUNZ 

Today, Michael is the Chief Underwriting Officer at PassportCard Australia, a travel insurance specialist insurtech. Combining his technical expertise, passion for customer-centricity, and innovative mindset, he looks to continue to make a meaningful impact in the industry, safeguarding travellers around the globe through a unique real-time claims processing proposition. 

Michael is also deeply involved in the Actuaries Institute of Australia, volunteering on the Data Science Practice Committee, Anti-Discrimination Practice Committee and the International Committee, as well as authoring and contributing to a number of research presentations. 

In this interview, Michael shares his reflections about:

• What prompted his move into management roles,
• The hardest part of becoming a people leader,
• How his view of leadership roles has changed since becoming a leader,
• The importance of connecting with people outside the actuarial team,
• What all actuaries need to be mindful about when it comes to AI, and
• His top tip for actuaries stepping into their first management roles.

Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"

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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.

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For as long as he can remember, James has been fascinated by human development and been on a quest to answer two key questions: “What makes for a successful life?” and “What makes people change?”

He thought he had all the answers as he spent two decades of his life traveling the world and rapidly gained “success” and recognition across various business, creative and spiritual spaces. Little did he know that he was slowly breaking apart inside and losing himself to unhealthy coping mechanisms and addictions. When he was finally able to confront the signs of unhealth in his life, he discovered that his view of success had been severely narrow and a new approach to living was required.

He would embark on his own personal transformation journey and after years of “road-testing” his new way of living, James started LiveHolysticTM Coaching — to help people redefine what a truly successful life looks like and show them an alternate, more holistic approach to life. 

James currently resides in Vancouver, Canada with his wife and their two sons and loves exploring the outdoors, meeting new people and playing music in a band. 

In this interview, James shares his reflections about: 
• How he defines “success” in his career,
• The indicators people should look out for that suggest “unhealth” in their careers, and
• Some common obstacles people find when wanting to define a more fulfilling career path.

Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"

We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.

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.

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After 20+ years working as an actuary in life insurance for insurance companies and consulting, Mark relocated to Israel 12 years ago. Mark is the Senior Pricing Actuary for Israel and Medi at Swiss Re with responsibility for costing, writing and monitoring Swiss Re's book of reinsurance life and health contracts covering life, disability, critical illness, long term care and various other life and health risks as might cross his desk. 

Mark's move to Israel came mid-career and presented a range of challenges, both personal (settling his then young family and learning a new language) and professional (establishing his credentials in a new country and dealing with a rather different market and corporate culture). In parallel, Mark embraced a new work/ life balance and enjoys (among other things) cooking, growing fruits, hiking, participation in his synagogue community and attempting to adapt 80s rock to classical/ acoustic guitar.

In this interview, Mark shares:

• What he learned as from working as an actuarial consultant in Australia, 
• The personal and professional challenges he faced when he and his wife decided to move their family to Israel, and 
• Advice he has for mid-career actuaries feeling stuck but unsure how to find more fulfillment in their work. 

Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"

We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.

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.

Tell us what you thought of this episode!

Janice is a Non-executive director, consultant and actuary with significant experience in the financial services sector including employee benefits, investments and financial planning. After starting her career at AMP, her actuarial career spans more than 30 years and has included a wide range of activities, including providing advice to companies, trustees and government; and managing people, projects and budgets. 

Janice is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, a Graduate of the Australian Institute 
of Company Directors and holds a range of professional qualifications and memberships. 

Today Janice is talking to us about a topic that affects us all - resilience.  

In this interview, Janice shares her reflections about: 

1. Why the concept of resilience is important for actuaries, 
2. Her own experience of burnout and recovery, and 
3. Tools and strategies she uses to support her resilience 
4. One tip she has for actuaries wanting to build their resilience. 

Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"

We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot.

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.