Championing Transparency: 2025 Actuary of the Year, Iris Lun

From Melbourne to Hong Kong, Iris Lun has combined technical excellence with a deep commitment to fairness in financial services — a journey that has now been recognised with the Actuaries Institute’s 2025 Actuary of the Year award.

Transforming an industry

Twenty-five years working across insurers and consultancies in Asia Pacific and Europe gave Iris the insights she needed for what would become a game-changing venture.

10Life cut through Hong Kong's persistently opaque insurance market with something the industry had never seen: truly independent product rankings backed by algorithms, not commissions. The numbers speak for themselves with more than 6.6 million users turning to the platform for unbiased reviews that clarify complex policy terms and highlight costs often hidden from consumers.

10Life is now the leading insurance comparison platform in Hong Kong and the work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2023, Iris took home the Insurtech Innovation Global Award at the World Digital Insurance Awards , adding to the FinTech Award she received the year before for Outstanding Insurance Comparison Platform.

Iris on a Hong Kong Local TV Finance Program as Insurance Kol

Putting people first

On receiving the Actuary of the Year award, Iris said:

"I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this recognition from the Actuaries Institute. Throughout my career, I've been driven by the belief that actuaries have a unique responsibility to make financial services more transparent and accessible for everyone."

Through 10Life, she's put that belief into practice, encouraging insurers across the region to adopt clearer disclosure practices and raising standards industry-wide.

Iris also brings a strong focus on ethics and professionalism, continually asking critical questions of herself and the industry:“How do we want to be perceived as a profession?” and“Do our products and services truly address protection gaps for consumers?”

This reflective approach underscores her commitment to both people and progress in an era of rapid change.

Iris presenting at the International Congress of Actuaries 2023 in Sydney, Australia

Beyond the business

Iris’s leadership extends well beyond 10Life. Through her volunteer work with actuarial and industry bodies, she has helped raise public awareness, champion diversity and inclusion, and inspire more women to pursue careers in actuarial science, fintech and insurance. She has served the profession through roles on the Actuaries Institute’s International Committee, Asia Sub-Committee, China Taskforce, and Council (2020–2022).

What she values most, however, is mentoring young actuaries. By guiding new professionals, she is helping them see career paths that blend technical rigour with consumer advocacy — opportunities that barely existed a decade ago.

Iris with Paul Swinhoe recording a podcast for the Actuaries Institute

Recognised by her peers

2025 Actuaries Institute President, Win-Li Toh, congratulated Iris on her award:

"Iris's contributions in transforming entire industries through insurtech, to elevating the profession's profile through award-winning public advocacy and mentoring the next generation of diverse actuarial leaders across the Asia-Pacific region, make her the best recipient of this award."

What's next?

Looking ahead, Iris sees 10Life expanding into new markets, but her bigger ambition is reshaping industry norms so that transparency becomes the rule, not the exception. It’s an ambitious vision, but then again, so was taking on Hong Kong’s insurance establishment in the first place!

The 2025 Actuary of the Year recognition honours not just her past achievements, but a future where technical expertise and ethical leadership drive lasting change. Please join us in congratulating Iris Lun on this well-deserved honour.

To find out more about the Actuary of the Year Award and explore previous winners, visit actuaries.asn.au/awards/actuary-of-the-year .