Stop the calculation: Lessons from our 2026 IWD Panel

Three leaders. One honest conversation. Get a sneak peek at what our 2026 International Women's Day panellists — Iris Lun, Lauren Hammacher and Miki Piggott — have to say about the invisible calculations we make, and what it really takes to back yourself.

Iris Lun, FIAA — Co-founder and Chair, 10Life | 2025 Actuary of the Year

With over 25 years of international actuarial experience across Asia Pacific and Europe, Iris Lun has made it her mission to transform insurance transparency.

As Co-founder, Chair and Chief Actuary of 10Life — Hong Kong's leading insurance comparison platform serving 6.6 million users, Iris has pioneered AI for social good and championed consumer protection. In 2025, she was named the Actuaries Institute Actuary of the Year.

What's one mindset shift that's changed how you approach your career?

I stopped believing there was one "right path". Moving countries, switching away from actuarial roles, leaving a stable salary to start my own business — they all looked like wrong moves at the time. Turns out these winding paths led me to exactly where I needed to be.

What's an invisible calculation you used to make regularly that you've since stopped – and what changed?

I used to run my mental spreadsheet before every life decision. I've since stopped making unfounded assumptions of the unknown, especially on other people (e.g. on how they will react/ how I will be perceived).

What's something you wish you'd known earlier about navigating ambition and authenticity?

I was demoted after both maternity leaves and I once faked my personality test to seem more extroverted. Both taught me the same lesson — you don't have to climb the expected ladder or perform someone else's version of leadership to be successful.

How do you switch off from work. What's your go-to reset?

I don't switch off totally (I have more than six jobs). I reset using counterbalance for example, whatever I've been doing, I do the opposite. Screen time vs. nature, sitting vs. movement, meetings vs. silence/music.

In three words, what do you hope attendees take away from this panel?

Dare to be you.

Lauren Hammacher, AIAA — Executive, AI and Analytics Excellence, Quantium

Lauren Hammacher leads the strategic transformation of Quantium's 500+ person global analytics community as Executive of AI and Analytics Excellence. 

Across nearly two decades, she has shaped the organisation's evolution from early machine learning to generative AI and agentic solutions. As co-founder of Quantium's Women's Network, she is equally committed to building inclusive, high-performing teams.

What's one mindset shift that's changed how you approach your career?

The biggest shift for me has been from accumulating capability to owning perspective. Early in my career, I focused on being a strong technical executor - solving the problem in front of me, analysing data, delivering impact. 

Over time, I've realised that progression isn't just about competence. It's about being willing to stand behind a point of view. 

That's led to a deeper shift: from optimising within systems to interrogating the systems themselves. What incentives are we creating? What behaviours are we rewarding? What risks are we embedding without realising? 

Owning perspective means not just delivering inside the model, but questioning whether the model or system itself makes sense and having the conviction to articulate that clearly.

What's an invisible calculation you used to make regularly that you've since stopped — and what changed?

As the eldest daughter and a recovering people-pleaser, I became very good, very early, at calculating what everyone else in the room expected, wanted or needed from me. In senior and highly technical forums, that translated into a constant background calibration. How direct to be, how much to push, whether to smooth an idea rather than sharpen it. 

What changed is recognising the cost of that self-editing. The cost isn't just personal energy - it's reduced intellectual contribution. In complex environments, constructive tension is more valuable than comfort. If you leave a room disappointed in the quality of thinking on a hard problem, you have to ask whether you shared your perspective clearly enough. 

I'm still quicker at mapping other people's expectations than my own point of view but I'm getting better at pausing long enough to articulate what I actually think, and then saying it directly.

What's something you wish you'd known earlier about navigating ambition and authenticity?

That ambition doesn't have to be loud, linear or externally validated. For a long time, I equated ambition with progression, i.e. scope, responsibility, visibility. 

Now I think about it more in terms of depth and leverage. Where do I have disproportionate influence on long-term outcomes? Where can I strengthen the coherence between strategy, data and technology, and human behaviour? Authenticity isn't about saying everything you think. It's about alignment over time - between your values, your decisions and the impact you're compounding. That's something I'm still learning.

How do you switch off from work. What's your go-to reset?

Water. If I'm near the ocean, I swim. Even if it's five minutes and slightly uncomfortable. There's something about cold water that cuts through mental noise instantly. Otherwise, it's movement - gym classes, walking with my kids or cooking dinner slowly. I've learned that I don't really "switch off" by thinking less. I switch off by changing state.

In three words, what do you hope attendees take away from this panel?

Courage. Clarity. Coherence.

Miki Piggott, FIAA — Senior Pricing Advisor, Suncorp

As Senior Pricing Advisor at Suncorp Group, Miki Piggott has spent over a decade shaping general insurance pricing across Australia's leading insurers, including Zurich and IAG. She achieved Fellowship of the Actuaries Institute in 2024. 

Her background in governmental statistics and her degree in Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research from Cardiff University underpin her evidence-based approach to the profession.

What's one mindset shift that's changed how you approach your career?

I changed how seriously I take stress. I've learned that there's almost always an outcome that can be discussed, shaped and communicated. This applies just as much to work as it does to being a mother — or whatever else life throws at you. 

Reminding myself to stay present — to be happy in the now rather than worrying about what might be — has made me calmer, more confident and able to genuinely enjoy my work.

What's an invisible calculation you used to make regularly that you've since stopped – and what changed?

I used to constantly calculate whether I was "good enough" to be an actuary — comparing my technical skills to others and assuming I came up short. I've stopped doing that. 

What changed was recognising that being technically strong doesn't mean being technically perfect. My skills are good enough, and my real strengths lie in communication, relationships and bringing people together. I'm now confident in my actuarial career, proud of what I've achieved and focused on building on my weaknesses without sacrificing my strengths.

What's something you wish you'd known earlier about navigating ambition and authenticity?

I wish I'd known — although I think I did realise this fairly early — that you don't need to choose between ambition and a full life. You can want to do well at work and still prioritise family, friendships and fun. In my experience, that balance actually makes you better at your job.

How do you switch off from work. What's your go-to reset?

Exercise has always been my reset, especially sport. I play soccer and coach my two daughters' teams. 

I'm very social and genuinely enjoy mixing life and work — many of my closest friends are people I've met through the actuarial industry in Australia. Add board games with friends and family, time with my kids (9 and 7), and making space for family — that's my balance. 

And when I really want to switch off, it's a long lunch with girlfriends or a weekend away.

In three words, what do you hope attendees take away from this panel?

Present. Capable. Resilient.

Join us in Sydney this International Women's Day

Join Iris, Lauren and Miki on 5 March 2026, 5:30–7:30pm AEDT — in person at Australia Square, Sydney and earn four CPD points. Can't make it in person? Join us virtually and earn two CPD points