I am an Actuary: Uncertainty, career pivots and purpose

"What's an actuary?" The answer depends entirely on who you ask.

In this edition of I Am an Actuary, five members share what the profession has looked like for them — the pivots, the surprises and the problems they've found worth solving. From fraud detection to climate risk, restaurant ownership to symphony orchestras, these are not the careers anyone predicted.

Callum Ahmad

Whenever I tell someone I'm studying to become an actuary, the response is almost always, "What's that?" I say, "Maths for insurance companies." Confusion, polite nodding, subject change.

The irony is that the work I am currently doing looks almost nothing like that description. Across consulting, product and traditional insurance, I've been able to work on things like designing algorithms to identify fraudulent Medicare claims for government and building products to monitor and track COVID-19 outbreaks and responses nationally. We are typically brought in for technical skills, but almost always end up involved in the broader strategic context.

Like many actuaries, I like maths but I want to use it for something that matters. What I've found is that technical skills, while needed to communicate credibly and understand what's feasible, are rarely the hard part. The hard part is always upstream. Figuring out with the people around you what the core problem actually is and what “good” looks like when you get there.

What I didn't expect is that the hardest question is rarely technical. A fraud detection model isn't really about flagging claims - it's about making sure healthcare funding reaches the people who need it. A disease surveillance system isn't about exposure tracking,  it's about giving people enough warning to protect their communities. The harder question is whether what you are building actually makes things better for people and how one would even know.

We get to work across the technical and the strategic. When tools can build almost anything and information is always accessible, what problems do you actually want to solve?

Abiya Hanif

“To be, or not to be… an actuary?” That’s the question I’ve been quietly asking myself since graduating.

Unlike many actuaries, I didn’t grow up being a naturally gifted mathematician, nor did I have an affinity for finance (I was one to always choose the arts). So, when I found myself accepted into actuarial, it felt like being handed a beautifully wrapped present – symmetrical bow and all, hiding something that felt like a fever dream. Unexpected, intense but strangely exciting.

Two years on, if you ask me whether I’ll complete my accreditations, my instinct is still ’yes’. I’m a big believer in further education. But, as my career unfolds and I understand where my passions lie, that answer has evolved into a thoughtful ‘maybe’. Not from doubt – but from curiosity.

I began (and continue) my post-grad career as a strategy consultant at NMG Consulting. While some of my work sits within the actuarial space, much of it is different to what the halls of UNSW once taught me. It has pushed me beyond formulas and into real-world ambiguity. Solving problems without clear answers, working across global markets and thinking commercially as well as technically.

There were moments when I could have chosen a more conventional route and perhaps be further along in my exams, but diversifying my palette has been the greatest education of all. It’s allowed me to live abroad, experience different markets and learn from remarkable people who have added so much more colour to my life.

There is often pressure to put your head down and power through qualifications, and I respect that path deeply. But, for me, taking it at my own pace has made the journey richer. Ironically, in a profession built on quantifying uncertainty, it’s the uncertainty that has shaped me most – and I think, made me a better actuary. 

Patrick Ubonsuwan

A careers adviser once told a Year 11 student doing general maths that he wouldn't make it in finance. That student was me! Honestly, I owe him a lot.

Partly out of stubbornness, I pushed myself and graduated with an accounting degree before realising that my true interest lay in the actuarial field - its intellectual rigour, the commercial impact and the challenge it offered. I enrolled in a Masters of Actuarial Science at Macquarie University and everything shifted.

The pivot felt bold on paper, but real-world experience shaped me just as much. I worked in a Thai restaurant throughout my studies, where I developed a feel for service, people and operations — skills that translated surprisingly well into commercial decision-making.

A later venture into restaurant ownership gave me many first-hand lessons in uncertainty, sacrifice and the weight of running a business. This chapter made it clear that actuarial work was the career I wasn't willing to walk away from.

I started out at Youi Insurance as a fresh graduate, working my way up to CTP Pricing Manager over a decade. Now at Envest, as Portfolio Insights Lead, I provide actuarial and analytical support across brokers and underwriting agencies. This role continues to remind me how much in this profession is left to explore.

After pausing my Fellowship studies for a few years, I returned last semester, juggling work, family and everything life had thrown in between. I wasn't hoping for much beyond a pass. Instead, I received the Andrew Prescott Prize!

More than the result, what I'm proudest of is simply showing up — the commitment and effort it took to get back to the desk and see it through. I have my mentor and family to thank for believing so much in me.

Ali Muhammad

As a child, the actuarial profession was rarely mentioned and seemed to offer limited opportunities. It wasn't until high school that I discovered its understated appeal — a pathway for those who enjoy working with numbers. This interest led me to Australia, where I studied Actuarial Studies at the University of Melbourne.

Through involvement in student societies and attendance at industry seminars, I became aware of the breadth of the profession. Speaking with actuaries across different fields showed me how diverse actuarial work can be, from pricing and reserving to data analytics and beyond. This exposure encouraged me to explore different areas as my career developed.

I began my career at Suncorp as a Pricing Analyst, building models to support profitability and customer outcomes, before moving to Allianz to specialise in CTP pricing. Across both roles, I performed portfolio analysis, developed pricing models and delivered insights to inform commercial decisions. I now work in a Workers' Compensation team, combining technical expertise with a broader strategic perspective. These experiences reinforced an important lesson — numbers alone describe the past. The true value of an actuary lies in the judgment applied after the model is built and in their ability to clearly communicate insights. Real-world problems rarely have textbook solutions. External factors, stakeholder needs and business constraints must all be considered and balanced.

I completed my Fellowship with a focus on Data Analytics. This was a deliberate choice as the profession evolves toward newer modelling techniques and data-driven decision-making. My career path has not been linear, but each stage has shaped how I approach uncertainty.

Ultimately, I am proud to belong to a profession whose true strength lies not in the numbers we generate, but in the clarity and confidence we bring to uncertainty.

Priya Dwivedi

The most important learning I've had so far in my journey as an actuary has been the value of embracing uncertainty and how this fosters adaptability and resilience.

I secured a graduate role in the Health and Human Services team at Ernst & Young, but due to the slowdown in government spending on consultants, I was moved temporarily into the Banking and Capital Markets (BCM) team in the actuarial practice.

Although this was a big shift from what I had planned, I chose to reframe it as an opportunity. By staying open‑minded and experimenting with my work, I discovered that I genuinely enjoyed the BCM space. What began as a temporary change became a deliberate decision to stay, teaching me how embracing uncertainty can lead to unexpected growth. I’m now incredibly grateful for the interesting opportunities that have followed, including projects in model validation, regulatory reviews and climate risk.

My time at university was derailed by the COVID-19 lockdown and my study mindset quickly became “just get through it”. It worked for a while, but I knew I didn’t want to carry that attitude into my Fellowship.

So, I rethought how I studied by trying new approaches, challenging old habits and reframing past setbacks as growth opportunities, leading to the unexpected result of topping my Fellowship subject! The key to my resilience was letting go of the outcome and grounding myself in what I could control - my work ethic and creativity.

Our profession is at an inflection point and tools like AI will transform not only how actuaries work but the problems we’re asked to solve.

To other actuaries early in their careers, my advice is to not be intimidated by uncertainty. Use it to foster your adaptability and resilience and lean into any unexpected turns.

Be part of the series

Every actuarial career looks a little different. If you would like to share your journey in a future edition of I Am an Actuary, please get in touch . We are always looking to feature the many paths the profession can take.