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 do...

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. “Just go and get involved in something. Get out of your day-to-day, go do something interesting. Who knows, you might love it!”, says James McAtamney. In this interview, James shares: - How playing in orchestras and ensembles taught him to listen, blend, a...

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 r...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! We Are Actuaries podcast episode number 72. Actuary Dorothy Cheng shares what she’s learned about leadership from founding and facilitating a 500+ member Chinese mums’ support group. “If you have a passion or need, don’t do it alone”, says Dorothy. In this interview, Dorothy shares: - How empathy builds trust and helps navigate difficult workplace situations, - How enabling others through hon...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary and netball umpire Crystal Mai shares what she’s learned on the netball court and how this has helped her in business. “Find something that you're passionate about and invest in it. You won't need to look for growth. That growth will come to you and it will flow into other parts of your life”, says Crystal. In this interview, Crystal shares: - How passion and presence transform workplace performance, - How to build confidence and find ...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary, adviser and GA Senior Leadership Program co-facilitator Martin Mulcare shares how to build confidence at work. In this interview, Martin shares: - What confidence is and why it is important in business, - How we can recognise confidence in ourselves, and - His tips for actuaries wanting to build their confidence at work. Martin Mulcare is currently enjoying a portfolio of activities where the common theme is that he loves ...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! Actuary Minh Phan shares how actuaries can get started using LLMs. In this interview, Minh shares: - How he uses LLMs in his personal life, - How he uses LLMs in his professional life, and - His tips for actuaries wanting to get started or improve their skills using LLMs. Minh is the Head of AI Innovation at Finity, focussing on everything from ideation, training, tooling, governance and development. With 14 years of experience in pricing and...

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 ...

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 i...

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 Mana...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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 bus...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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 def...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! 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 foun...

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 ...

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. In this interview, Claire shares: - How actuaries can transition from technical roles to strategic leadership by shifting focus from outputs to outcomes, - Why AI presents an opportunity rather than a threat for actuaries who understand its limitations and can build stakeholder trust, and - Practical strategi...

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. In this interview, Bill asks Julia: What inspired you to write Aspiring Actuarial Leaders?Many actuaries are highly technical. What are the biggest challenges they face when moving into leadership roles?Do you...

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...

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. 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, andA simple process anyone can follow to discover their own mission statement.Connect with Catrin on LinkedIn. Read Cat...

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

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. 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 ...