Live With The Maverick – Details, episodes & analysis

My guest for Episode 98 is Cathy Lyn, FIA, FSA, IFoA Council Member and Retired Actuary.

The theme for the episode is 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀.

Cathy and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Running for IFoA Council and what she seeks to contribute
✅ Nurturing a competitive quantitative workforce
✅ The importance of mathematical rigor in society
✅ Why quantitative professionals need to have a seat at the table
✅ How quantitative professionals make countries more competitive 
✅ How actuaries and engineers can work together to develop systems
✅ Quantitative opportunities in housing, transportation, and agriculture
✅ Changing societal attitudes towards paying for competency
✅ Closing educational gaps in developing a quantitative workforce 
✅ The importance of industry-academia collaboration for quants
✅ The importance of mentorship and professional networks for quants

If you want to understand how quantitative professionals make a difference in society, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 97 is Lewis Kemp, CEO at Lightbulb Media.

The theme for the episode is 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Lewis and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Content marketing and its relevance in the modern era
✅ Content creation and its importance for professionals 
✅ The three stages of the conversion funnel
✅ How individuals can apply the conversion funnel to their own careers
✅ How individuals can find their target audience
✅ Developing success criteria around content creation
✅ Keys to cultivating a relationship with a target audience 
✅ Keys to finding your authentic voice when creating content
✅ Fundamentals for individuals getting started with content 
✅ Overcoming nerves and limiting beliefs around content creation

If you are curious about creating content and not sure where to start, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 88 is Lloyd Richards, FIA, CERA, CStat, Director and Head of Actuarial at Crowe UK and Teaching Fellow at the Queen Mary University of London School of Mathematical Sciences.

The theme for the episode is 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀.

Lloyd and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Sustainability and its relevance for risk management
✅ The current sustainability landscape 
✅ Bank of England’s CBES directive 
✅ Physical, transition, and legal risks
✅ Climate scenario analysis and stress testing
✅ How actuaries get involved with climate scenario analysis
✅ Addressing key gaps in climate scenario analysis
✅ Data visualization and its connection to climate scenario analysis

If you are interested in learning about how actuaries are getting involved in Climate and ESG initiatives, you want to watch this.

Thank you for being on the show, Lloyd.

If you are interested in learning about how actuaries are getting involved in Climate and ESG initiatives, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 87 is Wesley Montgomery, FIA, FASSA, CEA, CEEM, Senior Actuary at Pillar Capital Management Limited.

The theme for the episode is 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗱𝗮.

Wesley and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ The insurance and risk management landscape in Bermuda 
✅ The Bermuda Monetary Authority
✅ How insurance is regulated in Bermuda 
✅ Accounting/reporting standards and tax advantages 
✅ Global minimum tax for multinational entities
✅ How actuaries add value in insurance and risk management 
✅ Unique challenges and opportunities for actuaries in Bermuda
✅ Traditional reinsurance, retros, and risk transfer
✅ Catastrophe bonds, industry loss warrants and parametric covers
✅ The culture outside of work in Bermuda 

If you are curious about the actuarial landscape in Bermuda, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 86 is Ann Chai, FCAS, Chief Risk Officer at Zurich North America.

The theme for the episode is 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Ann and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Solving business problems in non-traditional roles
✅ How non-traditional roles have helped to shape her career 
✅ Leveraging an actuarial background in a risk management role 
✅ ERM and other responsibilities as Chief Risk Officer
✅ Purchasing insurance for a large corporation 
✅ Her current views on the actuarial profession
✅ Important considerations for actuaries in navigating their careers 
✅ Higher value skills to position actuaries for success
✅ Individual contributor, manager, and leadership roles 
✅ The ideal mindset for actuaries who break into senior-level positions

If you are seeking guidance in navigating your actuarial career, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 85 is Kellen Booher, Executive Vice President and Global Insurance Executive.

The theme for the episode is 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮.

Kellen and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ How to think about your career at the macro level
✅ M-shaped vs. T-shaped careers
✅ Four types of career experiences that are valuable to have
✅ Differences between mentorship and sponsorship
✅ Tips on finding a sponsor in a corporate environment
✅ Guidance for employees who aspire to be promoted 
✅ Individual contributor, influence, and execution competencies 
✅ Personal development habits that are beneficial for careers 

If you are interested in advancing in your career, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 84 is Zorast Wadia, FSA, MAAA, EA, FCA, CFA, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman.

The theme for the episode is 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Zorast and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Defined benefit (DB) plans and defined contribution (DC) plans
✅ Plan sponsors, valuation actuaries, and retirement plan operations
✅ Cash valuation and financial accounting valuation
✅ Differences between corporate and public pension plans
✅ Milliman’s Corporate Pension Funding Study
✅ Environmental changes that recently shined a light on DB plans
✅ The unfreezing of IBM’s DB plan and its implications for the market
✅ The American Rescue Plan Act
✅ Risk retention, risk management, and risk transfer for DB plans
✅ Annuity purchase activity for frozen DB plans 

If you are interested in learning about the retirement space, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 83 is Andrew Ngai, FIAA, CERA, Director at Taylor Fry.

The theme for the episode is 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀.

Andrew and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Participating in Esports as an actuary
✅ Applicability of the actuarial skillset in Esports 
✅ Developing a passion for Excel beyond everyday actuarial work 
✅ Excel World Championships: qualification, training, and competition 
✅ Lessons from his competition experience 
✅ LAMBDA, LET, and TOCOL functions
✅ The benefits of using dynamic arrays
✅ VLOOKUP, INDEX MATCH, and XLOOKUP tradeoffs
✅ Assessing when a task is better handled outside of Excel
✅ Tips for early career actuaries to improve Excel skills 

If you are interested in learning how to get the most out of Excel to add value in your work, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 82 is Paul Sweeting, Ph.D, FIA, CERA, CFA, FCSI, FRSA, Senior Advisor at Hassana Investment Company.

The theme for the episode is 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Paul and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ Enterprise risk management and its strategic role in organizations
✅ How actuaries add value in ERM
✅ Capital modeling, quantitative risk evaluation, and risk measures
✅ Using multivariate distributions for risk modeling
✅ What copulas are and why they are used for ERM
✅ How to build risk models using copulas
✅ Specific risk modeling applications of copulas
✅ Gaussian, T, and Archimedean copulas
✅ The role of copulas in the 2008 financial crisis
✅ Corporate governance and its significance in ERM

If you are interested in learning from one of the premiere global voices in the actuarial profession, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com

My guest for Episode 81 is Gabriel Ware, FCAS, Transaction Actuary | Consultant.

The theme for the episode is 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀.

Gabriel and I explore the following topics:⁣

✅ What legacy risks are and why risks become legacy risks
✅ Legacy acquisitions in the insurance space
✅ Loss portfolio transfers and adverse development covers 
✅ Key considerations for buyers and sellers in legacy transactions 
✅ Arriving at an ambivalence point when differences of opinion exist 
✅ The role of a transaction actuary compared to that of a traditional actuary
✅ War stories from the most complex legacy transactions 

If you are interested in learning about acquisitions in the insurance market and the role of a transaction actuary, you want to listen to this.

My Website: maverickactuary.com