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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 the founder of Price Writer, a learning and development company for insurance pricing professionals. He qualified as an actuary in 2013, a proud milestone, though the shift from student to qualified actuary proved more challenging than expected. Drawing on his experience in pricing, he wrote a book that’s helped many grow their careers and navigate this field. The Price Writer program supports over 190 members, including teams from some of the largest insurance companies. Their vision is to grow this to 1,000 members and make pricing professionals the most respected leaders in insurance

-          Contact Jeremy: https://pricewriters.com/

-          Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-keating/ 

-          Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing 

Read Jeremy's book Price Writer: The Nine-Step Method to Becoming a Highly Successful General Insurance Pricing Leader.

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

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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 strategies for actuaries to thrive in the AI era.

Claire Wang is a problem-solving and structured communication expert with 20 years of experience in Pricing, spanning banking, FinTech, telecommunications, and insurance.

She specializes in pricing transformation in B2C markets and delivers structured communication workshops for corporate leaders. Claire believes that the biggest pricing challenge isn’t just setting the right price—it’s defining the right problem to solve.

Her mission is to help executives cut through complexity, ask better questions, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.

When she’s not decoding complex pricing challenges, you’ll find her unplugging completely—either on a yoga mat or deep in the mountains.

- Find out how Claire can help you: https://www.claire-wang.com/
- Connect with Claire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-wang/ 
- Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing 

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

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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 believe actuarial education adequately prepares professionals for management? Why or why not?
• With AI and automation changing the profession, how do leadership skills help actuaries stay relevant? 
• Can you share any real-world examples of actuaries who successfully transitioned into leadership roles by developing soft skills?

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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 promoted to full vice president.  She currently works as an actuary for Unum Group in Voluntary Benefits.  Linley has volunteered with the Society of Actuaries’ Education and Examination Committee since 1990.  She speaks 4 languages and is also an international best-selling author.  

In this interview, Linley shares:  

• Her experience taking a 19 year career break to raise her six children and successfully returning to her actuarial career, 
• How skills she learned raising a family helped her get promoted, and 
• Her suggested steps and advice for those wanting to take a career break. 

Connect with Linley on LinkedIn.

Read Linley’s books:

• Don’t Be Afraid to Do What You Really Want to Do – Reach All Your Life Dreams.
• Wickedly Smart Women: Trusting Intuition, Taking Action, Transforming Worlds
• Betrayed, Not Trashed (coming in 2025)

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

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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”

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

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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

Connect with Maathu on LinkedIn.

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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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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.

Connect with Jared on LinkedIn.

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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. 

Connect with Win-Li on LinkedIn.

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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. 

Connect with Naomi on LinkedIn.

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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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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. 

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.

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.