We Are Actuaries

Tell us what you thought of this episode! What if the most valuable thing you could do for your team today was to stop doing things for them? In this episode, I sit down with Melinda Howes, Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, former CEO of the Actuaries Institute, and current Group Executive, Superannuation & Investments at AMP, to talk about what three decades in the industry h...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! What if the biggest obstacle standing between your team and great work isn't the work itself, it's uncertainty? Kriti Khullar shares this view and more leadership gems in this interview.  Kriti is the Risk Intelligence Insights Lead at IAG, a recent graduate of the Guardian Actuarial Senior Leadership Program, and a working mum navigating all the...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! What does it take to step into your first leadership role when the safety net disappears almost immediately?  In this episode, I'm joined by Cosimo Maiolo, a qualified actuary whose career has taken him from Sydney to London to Dublin, and through just about every leadership challenge you can imagine along the way. Cos was nominated as one of our grea...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary and senior leader Jessica Lilley shares her leadership lessons. Jessica Lilley is a Senior Actuary at the National Disability Insurance Agency, where she leads a team of more than 75 actuaries and analysts providing advice to the NDIA Board, senior leaders and government. She has almost 20 years’ experience across general insurance and...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! Martin Mulcare asks Andrew Gale to share reflections from his senior leadership experience, including his role as President of the Actuaries Institute in 2005. In this interview, Andrew shares:  - Why he gravitated towards the Actuaries Institute and ultimately the Presidency, - How a career defined by stepping outside comfort zones shaped his leadership a...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! This interview is part of the “Presidential Perspectives” mini-series with guest host Martin Mulcare. You can also listen to the interview on the We Are Actuaries podcast episode number 84. Martin Mulcare asks David Knox to share some reflections from his senior leadership experience, including his role as the 2000 President of the Actuaries Institute. In...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! This interview is part of the “Presidential Perspectives” mini-series with guest host Martin Mulcare.  Martin Mulcare asks Bozenna Hinton to share some reflections from her senior leadership experience, including her role as the 2010 President of the Actuaries Institute. In this interview, Bozenna shares:  -   Why she put her hand up to serve as President...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! This interview is part of the “Presidential Perspectives” mini-series with guest host Martin Mulcare. You can also listen to the interview on the We Are Actuaries podcast episode number 82. Martin Mulcare asks Barry Rafe to share some reflections from his senior leadership experience, including his role as the 2011 (and part of 2018) President of the Actua...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! This interview is part of the “Presidential Perspectives” mini-series with guest host Martin Mulcare. Trevor Matthews reflects on leadership, including his role as the 1997 President of the Actuaries Institute. “One of my favourite quotations about leadership comes from Napoleon Bonaparte. He said a leader is a dealer in hope", says Trevor. In this in...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! This interview is part of the “Presidential Perspectives” mini-series with guest host Martin Mulcare. Helen reflects on her senior leadership experience and her role as the 2002 President of the Actuaries Institute. “To add value in whatever role you're undertaking, you need to really be able to listen and understand the perspectives of others, try an...

Tell us what you thought of this episode! Experienced actuary Syed Raza shares his lessons from building an independent consulting business. Syed Raza is an independent actuarial consultant and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in life insurance and annuities. After spending much of his career in traditional actuarial roles, Syed made the leap into independent consulting, where he now...

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 acros...

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 in...

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, l...

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...

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 intervie...

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...

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 workplac...

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 shar...

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 Mulcar...

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,...

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 Pr...

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,...

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 co...

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...