Presidential Perspectives with Barry Rafe

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 Actuaries Institute.

In this interview, Barry shares: 

-          Why he put his hand up to serve as President of the Actuaries Institute,

-          How his winding corporate career — from AMP to Accenture to running his own consulting firm — shaped his approach to leadership,

-          What it really means to chair a board,

-          The importance of holding firm opinions loosely, and

-          His top tip for actuaries aspiring to leadership roles.

Barry is a financial services professional with experience as a director, CEO and consultant. Barry is currently a director of a public relations and media business. He presents courses on board governance, strategy and finance for the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Barry is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Barry has published several research papers on board governance. Namely, 

• The Special Needs of Financial Services Boards, and 

• CEO's Say One Thing and Do Another: An Insight Provided by a Royal Commission 

Barry has also collaborated on several other research papers and is a reviewer of the governance notes prepared by the AICD.

Our guest host, Martin Mulcare, is a qualified actuary, experienced senior leader and a talented facilitator. He enjoys working with different types of people and he loves sharing ideas. Formerly the facilitator of the Professionalism Course, Martin is a member of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Ethics Centre and is the Chairman of the Board of The Growth Project.

Connect with Barry and Martin on LinkedIn.  

Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries:

• For new and aspiring managers: "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"
• For new and aspiring senior leaders: "Senior Leadership: An Essential Guide for Actuaries"

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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.