Episode 56: Actuaries in the Boardroom with Elaine Collins
“My hot tip for actuaries aspiring to contribute in the boardroom is to give the background to your question. So often we think like actuaries, and we think everyone else in the room is thinking like actuaries.
They’re not. They’re not actuaries and they don’t think like actuaries. Take them on the journey.”
Elaine Collins,
Actuary
Elaine Collins, BSc(Hons), MEc, FIAA, FAICD, is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She spent 10+ years in Appointed Actuary roles, firstly with KPMG, then as Partner of Deloitte.
Subsequently, Elaine has spent 10+ years a Non-Executive Director, ten years on the Board of Zurich Insurance, nine years as a Board Member of the ARPC and currently holds three Boards roles: RACV, ANZLMI and Ivory Insurance. Throughout this time, she chaired Board Committees, including Risk, Audit, Customer and Pricing.
Elaine has 25+ years’ insurance industry experience with expertise in capital efficiency, strategic risk and effective governance within organisations. She enhances linkages between the industry and academia in her role as a Professor of Practice in the School of Risk & Actuarial with the UNSW Business School. Elaine has served on several Institute Committees, including the GIPC and the Professional Practice Committee.
In this interview Elaine shares:
How she sees actuaries adding value in the boardroom,
Current topics organisations are facing and how she sees actuaries adding value,
Why collegiality is critical for boards to be effective,
Tips for actuaries wanting to contribute in the boardroom, and
How she creates balance in her life, while enjoying a diverse and challenging career.
Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn.
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