Episode 46: A Multicultural Journey with Win-Li Toh

“I think that a multicultural journey is a mindset rather than a physical journey. You know, I'm ethnically Chinese, but I've been richly blessed by my interactions and acceptances into so many different cultures. So I think most of the time, if you keep a lookout, culture comes to you, so in places like Sydney where you live, which is a cultural melting pot, there's no excuse.

I went to the Sydney Writers Festival last week and I heard and met a really inspiring British philosopher A. C. Grayling, who was born in Zambia and an Australian art historian studying in Cambridge, debate about whether we need books. So, culture comes to your doorstep. Keep your ears and eyes open.”

Win-Li Toh,
Experienced Actuary

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: 

1. Insights from living, studying and working across different cultures, 

2. How both culture and curriculum impact maths ability, 

3. What speaking several languages has taught her about communication, and 

4. Why enjoying the journey, in your actuarial career and in life, is so important. 

Connect with Win-Li on LinkedIn.

Listen now: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts