We Are Actuaries

Tell us what you thought of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2066242/open_sms] 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 Manager – Performance at MIPS, a medical indemnity organisation with members across Australia. He has experience working in the healthcare and insurance sectors, holding a number of senior roles across major health insurers including Medibank and Defence Health. Barry is passionate about better health for all.  Prior to joining MIPS, he was an Impact Insurance Fellow with the International Labour Organisation, advising the National Health Insurance Authority in Ghana West Africa on the country’s universal health cover scheme. In between his day job and transporting his children to different extra- curricular activities, he is also involved in a local charity and is a Director of Mater Christi College in Belgrave Victoria.  -          Connect with Barry [https://au.linkedin.com/in/barry-leung-9374b412] on LinkedIn.   -          Connect with Julia [https://au.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing] on LinkedIn. Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/book]" We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/actuary_podcasts/?feedid=5676688]. Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing/] and Guardian Actuarial [https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian-actuarial/%20] on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au].

Tell us what you thought of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2066242/open_sms] 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 business functions including actuarial, customer & marketing, technology, finance, claims, portfolio and risk. And 19 years in leadership roles, having built and led analytics and actuarial teams delivering strategic insights to inform business decisions. - Connect with Kevin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-cattaway/] on LinkedIn.  - Connect with Julia [https://au.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing] on LinkedIn.  Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/book]" We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/actuary_podcasts/?feedid=5676688]. Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing/] and Guardian Actuarial [https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian-actuarial/%20] on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au].

Tell us what you thought of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2066242/open_sms] 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 define “strategic thinking” within the context of a life reinsurance business? 3. What frameworks or tools do you rely on when formulating strategy? 4. As CEO, you’re bound to make decisions not everyone agrees with—how do you handle those moments when you have to go against the grain or make an unpopular call? 5. How do you balance short term targets or objectives with long term strategic goals? Alissa Holz is Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, RGA Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), for RGA Reinsurance Australia. Appointed to the role of CEO in April 2025, she has overall responsibility for the management of RGA’s operations in ANZ, including strategy, client engagement and financial results. With over 25 years of experience in the life insurance industry, Alissa brings a wealth of client experience and depth of market knowledge to her role with a proven track record of leadership within RGA. Alissa received her Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Mathematics from the Queensland University of Technology, is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia (FIAA) and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD). Jennifer Ng is a Principal Pricing Actuary at Gen Re with over 18 years of life insurance experience in the Australian and Asia. Jennifer has extensive experience in group and retail pricing and held roles at both local and regional levels in a global reinsurer, where she was responsible for leading pricing tenders, assessing profitability of existing portfolios and providing pricing oversight to local offices. Before joining Gen Re, Jennifer was a Director in Deloitte’s Consulting practice in Australia. Jennifer is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Peter Whittigan is a qualified actuary with over 15 years’ experience in the general insurance industry. His career spans a diverse range of roles across reserving, capital management, and pricing, in both consulting and corporate environments. Peter brings deep expertise in both short-tail and long-tail insurance, covering personal and commercial lines. Currently at IAG, he is focused on the development and deployment of advanced machine learning models safely into live pricing systems. Find out more about the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program: https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/ga-leadership-program Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/book]" We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/actuary_podcasts/?feedid=5676688]. Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing/] and Guardian Actuarial [https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian-actuarial/%20] on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au].

Tell us what you thought of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2066242/open_sms] 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 founder of The Rebellious Coach. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, she built her career from school-leaver to Chief Actuary before shifting her focus to helping actuaries and other technical professionals take the next step in their careers. Known for her rebellious empathy and no-nonsense approach, Lisa blends mentoring and coaching to support those navigating promotions, role changes, and career crossroads. She’s passionate about challenging outdated norms and helping others lead with confidence, clarity, and purpose—without losing who they are in the process. - Find out more about how Lisa can help you: https://therebelliouscoach.co.uk/  - Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lisa-staker  - 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 [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/book]" We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/actuary_podcasts/?feedid=5676688]. Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing/] and Guardian Actuarial [https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian-actuarial/%20] on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au].

Tell us what you thought of this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2066242/open_sms] 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/ [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 [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 [https://pricewriters.com/]. Read Julia’s new book "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/book]" We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/actuary_podcasts/?feedid=5676688]. Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lessing/] and Guardian Actuarial [https://www.linkedin.com/company/guardian-actuarial/%20] on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website [https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au].