An Actuary Like Me – Nika Lee

I am a part of the international community of professionals solving real world problems.

Nika Lee has worked in general insurance for over 17 years, with experience across multiple disciplines and territories. She started her career within pricing in Australia. In Europe and the UK, she has worked as a consultant providing advisory services including actuarial, product, data analytics, business transformation and transaction. She has held numerous roles at AND-E in actuarial, pricing and analytics before becoming UK CUO. She has been actively involved in the development of innovative products and services based on connectivity mobility and AI. 

Why are you proud to be an actuary?

I worked very hard to obtain all the necessary qualifications to become an actuary. And also because being an actuary means I am a part of the international professional community of professionals solving real world problems and whose institution represents, educates and connects its members.  

What is the most valuable skill an actuary can possess?

Critical and analytical thinking and problem-solving skills especially when there is a high degree of uncertainty and where complexities are involved. 

What is your best advice for younger/rising actuaries? 

Challenge yourself and others to do the right thing. Trust and use the actuarial skills you have learned to answer the right questions and solve the right problems. Professionalism and ethics standards are important as well as having broad experience and perspectives in making a positive impact. 

What’s something an outsider wouldn’t know about your industry?  

Motor liability insurance plays a key role in enabling autonomous driving trials. Many of the world’s innovations would not be possible without insurance. 

Any other cities/countries you have worked in?  

Sydney, Rome, Munich and London. 

What’s the most interesting trend for 2023?  

AI, in particular the rise of the likes of ChatGPT and GPT4 which bring huge potential advances in automation, and which have the potential to disrupt markets along with various risks.

Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for actuaries?  

AI and data science.

What do you do to recharge each day?

Exercise and sleep. 

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?  

I like traveling, playing tennis, reading and watching YouTube. 

What’s the phone app you use most?  

Other than work related apps, I use YouTube the most to access diverse content.  

What is your favourite random fact?  

I have had 4 different nationalities. 

What is on your bucket list?  

Fly a plane. 

If you had millions of dollars, what would you do every day?  

I would need to think about it. For sure I would spend the first few days going away and thinking of the ways to best spend such a vast amount of money. 

If you lived 500 years in the future, what do you think your profession would be?

After an actuary, a surgeon or a scientist.

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