Diversity and Inclusion

Surtina Chakraborty (India)

Surtina is an aspiring actuary from India, working in P&C insurance for 3 years and a half.

Julia Perugini (Canada)

Julia is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. She received her Bachelors in Actuarial Mathematics from Concordia University in December 2019. After graduating she wrote her Society of Actuaries exam while working at Mercer in the pension valuation team. She is interested in how actuaries can drive positive change through inclusive product design, climate risk modelling and responsible innovation. Julia believes in the power of diverse voices in the actuarial world and think they have the power to shape a more resilient and equitable world.

Luis Gustavo Balderas Calderón (Mexico)

Luis is passionate about challenges and continuous learning. He is always looking for new experiences and goals that will push him to grow.

While finding ways to contribute something valuable to society, Luis enjoys discovering, exploring, researching and having fun along the way.

Mokshit Kothari (India)

Mokshit is a student with the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI). He has passed 8 out of 12 papers under the IAI curriculum and he received the national highest score in three of those exams.

He is pursuing chartered accountancy (Indian equivalent of CPA). He also teaches math, finance, financial mathematics on various for-profit and not-for-profit platforms.

Kai Peng (China)

Kai Peng is an actuary from China. He graduated from the Department of Insurance at Fudan University. He received the honor of "Excellent Examinee" five times in the actuarial professional examination under China's new system (i.e. ranking in the top three among candidates in a single subject.

Joy Liu (Australia)

Joy is a Fellow of both the UK and Australian actuaries institutes, with 9 years of experience, mainly in health insurance. She has a strong interest in combining Python coding and AI, with traditional mathematical modelling to strengthen actuarial insights in health insurance. Recovery Ready is one of Joy's frameworks, designed to enable practical, cross-disciplinary collaboration for improved health outcomes.

Kota Kiriya (Japan)

After graduating from the University of Tokyo with a degree in economics, Kota Kiriya joined Nippon Life as an actuary. He spent three years in product development, working on pricing and profitability analysis for new products and rate revisions. Currently, he is in the accounting department, focusing on insurance performance reporting and mortality/incidence rate analysis. He became a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Japan in 2025. Through the Actuary World Cup, he hopes to explore new fields where actuaries can make a meaningful impact.

Shunya Yamai (Japan)

Shunya Yamai is an Associate Member of the Institute of Actuaries of Japan. He is engaged in actuarial work related to corporate pension schemes. At the same time, he is also a physique athlete—a type of bodybuilding competitor. In his daily life, he values both the analytical mindset required for actuarial work and the discipline and passion that comes from training his body. He is passionate about applying actuarial science to extend healthy life expectancy, and he actively explores how data-driven insights and lifestyle interventions can promote better health outcomes.

Muona Chajie (Canada)

Mouna is a canadian actuarial candidate currently based in Ottawa. With over 8 years of experience in risk management and innovation, she is passionate about applying actuarial tools to real-world issues beyond traditional domains. Her recent focus is bridging actuarial science and personal wellness through creative modeling and data-driven tools.

Ismail Bengrina (France)

He is a certified actuary currently working as a reinsurance underwriter in trade credit, with a background in data science. He is passionate about artificial intelligence and how it intersects with actuarial thinking, ethics, and real-world decision-making.

Victoria Bruns (Germany)

Victoria Bruns is a Senior Associate at PwC Germany, working in the Actuarial Risk Modelling Services team. She holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Münster and a B.Sc. in Mathematical Economics from Bielefeld University. Since 2020, she has been involved in life insurance audits (Solvency II, IFRS, local GAAP) and actuarial consulting, focusing on IT transformation projects at insurance companies. Her interests lie in the intersection of actuarial science, regulation, and technology. In January 2024, she became a member of the German Association of Actuaries (DAV).

Angus Li (Hong Kong)

Angus is a final-year student at The University of Hong Kong, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science with a minor in Computer Science. He has passed several SOA exams and gained practical experience through multiple actuarial internships. During these roles, he automated financial dashboards using Power BI and SQL, analyzed sales incentives' impact on embedded value, built actuarial calculation engines in VBA, and implemented Python ETL pipelines for regulatory reporting. Proficient in Python, SQL, and actuarial software, he is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, with strong problem-solving skills and a passion for translating data into business insights.

Dexter Rudram (United Kingdom)

Dexter is a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary. After spending a year in Osaka following university, he returned to the UK and qualified as an FIA while raising two children. He has eight years’ experience as a pensions actuary, advising trustees and sponsors on managing their schemes.

He is keen for actuaries around the world to share experiences and work together.
He believes that actuaries can use our unique skillset to help improve society for future generations.

Ruyu Cui (China)

After completing his undergraduate degree at Central University of Finance and Economics, Ruyu earned his master degree at Bayes Business School. He has been working in a life-insurance company for nearly five years and pricing multiple life insurance products and health insurance products.

During this period, he has been deeply involved in the core functions of traditional actuaries, including but not limited to risk assessment, actuarial model construction, and future risk prediction. He has obtained the Associate member qualification of CAA and passed required exams. After fulfilling the working experience requirement, he will be eligible for the Fellow member of CAA.

Fernando De la Torre Corzas (Mexico)

Fernando is a Mexican actuary, member of the Colegio Nacional de Actuarios, with more than 10 years of experience in the health insurance industry. He has had the opportunity to work in several markets across Latin America, the USA, Asia, and Africa and help them to build a more robust portfolio of health products that ultimately provide protection to underserved populations.

Smriti Paneru (United-Kingdom)

Smriti Paneru is from Kathmandu, Nepal. She is studying BSc in Mathematical Sciences at School of Mathematical Sciences, Tribhuvan University, and is also a student member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). She loves connecting ideas, whether through data, storytelling, or meaningful conversations. Curious, creative, and reflective, she believes actuaries can do more than calculate; they can challenge, inspire, and lead. She is committed to continuous learning and making a difference through actuarial science.

Catrin Townsend (United-Kingdom)

After over a decade in insurance pricing, this year Catrin co-founded a company to provide dedicated education and training to pricing professionals. By building community between actuaries and data scientists, they push the boundaries on what is seen as traditional actuarial work. To encourage diverse applicants into the industry, Catrin has written a book about actuarial science, with the aim of improving recognition and understanding of actuarial work and its importance in society. She also hosts a podcast that applies takeaways from business books to insurance contexts, and she volunteers with the IFoA as a Career Ambassador.

Divyani Mehta (India)

Divyani Mehta is an Associate Member of the IAI with strong progress in actuarial exams and three years of experience in general insurance. She specializes in reserving and supports Solvency II regulatory work across the Irish and UK markets. Divyani has also contributed to pricing and reserving functions for insurance entities. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from MLSU, Udaipur, and is a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of India. Outside work, she enjoys cooking, yoga, and meditation. She also runs “Bima_iQ,” a platform dedicated to making insurance simple and accessible to the general public.

Taeyun Eom (South Korea)

Taeyun Eom is an actuarial Consultant at PwC, currently working on oversea IFRS 17 implementation projects. He previously spent two years in product development and risk management for Property & Casualty insurance, followed by two years in long-term health insurance product development. He brings a broad perspective across lines of business, with a focus on sustainable insurance design, risk quantification, and cross-border collaboration.

Nelvis Fornasin (Germany)

Nelvis is a physicist turned mathematician turned actuary. He was born in Italy but moved to Germany 10 years ago during his studies, and then stayed. He lives in Munich. In his career, he worked as a consultant, as a reserving actuary, and now as a reinsurance underwriter. He likes reading, challenges and raspberries (in no particular order). He does not particularly enjoy writing his own biography but understands that it is sometimes necessary.

Christelle Oosthuizen (South Africa)

Christelle Oosthuizen is a consulting actuary at Insight Life Solutions. She has 5 years of experience working both in industry and in consulting. She has worked across a range of areas including valuations, risk management and modelling, and has been exposed to a wide variety of projects. She has a passion for innovation within the life insurance industry and is interested in how non-traditional rating factors can be used to make a positive impact to both insurers and the lives they protect.

Kumbirai Matika (Zimbabwe)

Kumbirai Matika is a young lady with a background in Actuarial Science and is passionate about Sustainable Development Goals. She leverages her expertise in data analysis and risk management to drive positive change and promote sustainable development in her country. As an advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals, she works tirelessly to raise awareness, inspire action, and contribute to a brighter future.

Varuni Goyal (India)

Varuni Goyal is an aspiring actuary and a student member of the Institute of Actuaries of India. She has successfully cleared 3 out of 13 actuarial papers and is currently pursuing the remaining exams while deepening her understanding of financial risk, insurance, and data analysis. With a background in commerce and a strong interest in sustainable finance, she is passionate about using actuarial skills to address real-world challenges like climate risk and social equity. She aims to contribute to data-driven, ethical decision-making in the actuarial profession, both in India and globally.

Lachlan Clark (Australia)

Lachlan is an Actuary focussing on General Insurance. Having previously worked with teams filled with non-technical personnel he is keen on working closely with stakeholders to ensure that complex concepts can be easily explained and understood by everyone. He enjoys thinking of new and creative ways to promote the profession and ensure that the everyday person can understand what an Actuary does to ensure that we’re able to get the most out of our work.

Ritesh Gupta (India)

Ritesh Gupta is an actuarial student from India who sees risk not just as numbers, but as stories waiting to unfold. He has cleared 2 actuarial exams from IFoA, UK and expected to receive multiple exams exemptions through his college IAQS, Mumbai. He enjoys exploring how actuarial models can solve real world problems beyond traditional domains. His article on how actuaries can contribute in Formula recently got published, which showcases his belief that actuaries have a much bigger role to play in the world we live in, especially where unpredictability meets public attention.

Josiah Lee (Singapore)

Josiah Lee is currently a final year undergraduate student studying data science and economics at the National university of Singapore. Josiah shows his passion for the actuarial profession, undertaking multiple internships in GI Pricing with various insurers in Singapore. He hopes to show his passion for actuarial science and human psychology through his project titled "LossLess: Insuring Recovery, Empowering Change", about a new field of Behavioural risk insurance.

Bhavya Mukesh Shah (India)

Bhavya Shah is a Fellow Actuary with extensive experience in the non-life insurance sector, specializing in pricing, reserving, and IFRS17. He has also been involved in the Actuarial Education domain in India, guiding 1000+ students in their actuarial journey. As the Director of Academics and Research at IAQS, he has been instrumental in developing and providing cutting-edge Actuarial education to students globally. Prior to IAQS, he has worked with ICICI Lombard and HDFC Ergo in their actuarial teams.

Wendy Pui Yi Lai (Hong Kong)

Wendy is a young actuary from Hong Kong with around three years of professional experience in the insurance industry. She is passionate about translating complex actuarial concepts into clear ideas for broader audiences. Wendy believes that Actuarial Science shouldn't only be confined to textbooks — it should empower everyone to better understand the insurance protection that we rely on. She is looking forward to use her expertise to contribute to both the actuarial community and the society that has nurtured her career.

Hannah Giliomee (South Africa)

Hannah Giliomee is an actuary based in Cape Town, South Africa. She began her career in 2021 at PwC, where she has had the privilege of growing and developing within a firm that values innovation, excellence, compassion, and trust. Hannah is passionate about using actuarial science not only as a tool for financial insight, but as a means to drive meaningful change. Her work is deeply guided by her Faith, and she strives to use her skills and platform to empower and serve others, inspire hope, and help build a future that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

Théo Binet (France)

Théo Binet is currently a second-year master’s student in the Actuarial Science program at the University of Strasbourg (DUAS). In parallel, he is completing an internship at the consulting firm Onepoint, within the Deal Risk and Finance team, working as an actuary. His current focus is on life insurance topics, asset-liability management (ALM), and sustainable finance.

Ean Chan (Australia)

Ean is a Data Science Actuary in Australia who has had the opportunity to work on a range of interesting non-traditional projects during his time working as a consultant. As the Chair of the Young Data and AI Working Group (YDAWG) and member of the Data Science and AI Practice Committee, Ean is dedicated to driving progress in the actuarial field by augmenting our expertise with the latest data science, AI and machine learning methods. In volunteering and at work, he strives to help raise the profile of actuaries in the Data Science space.

Harsha Wardhan Saraiya (India)

Born and raised in India, Harsha Wardhan is a curious soul, always eager to travel, connect with new cultures, and deepen his understanding of the world. Once an average student, he has grown into a believer—constantly challenging himself to think deeply, learn relentlessly, and sharpen his mind. He juggles exams, work, and personal passions, pushing himself forward with determination and optimism. His inquisitive nature helps him see life as a journey of discovery, and he strives to spread positivity wherever he goes. He has noticed people are often influenced by his vibe, and that motivates him to keep hustling and growing every day.

Heet Maniar (United-Kingdom)

Heet Maniar is a qualified actuary with 5 years of experience, working in the life and health insurance space with a passion for integrating data, behavior science, and innovation to drive better outcomes. He has experience in pricing, experience studies, and assumption setting across emerging markets, and has actively worked on GLMs and data segmentation to understand health and mortality trends. He is curious about the intersection of technology, longevity, and actuarial science — and believes the profession has a crucial role to play in building a healthier future.

Dreyer Swart (South Africa)

Dreyer is a pricing actuary, working in the short-term insurance industry. Currently, he is working for a consultancy firm. Here, he is learning about the pricing practice, and the statistics that underly them.

Artūrs Krištapjonoks (Latvia)

Artūrs has studied statistics in the University of Latvia, then obtained MSc in Mathematics from Riga Technical University. For 3.5 years he worked as a pricing actuary within P&C insurance, dealing with commercial property and motor products pricing. Now, he is working as Data Scientist in Risk Department inside the FinTech industry, dealing with probability of default modelling.

Gustavo Ricardo Cabrera Castellanos (Colombia)

Gustavo Cabrera is a Dominican-Colombian actuary whose path into the profession has been shaped by diverse experiences, including academic scholarships and success in math competitions. Passionate about teaching and community engagement, he is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries and has volunteered on its Latin America Committee. As Actuarial Director at Suramericana, he leads knowledge development and non-traditional risk transfer initiatives across seven Latin American countries. He recently completed a master’s in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management at Oxford. Gustavo focuses on the intersection of nature and insurance, exploring its potential as a transformative enabler of socio-economic activities.

Shashini Abeygunawardena (New-Zealand)

Shash is guided by curiosity and a deep sense of purpose that empowers her to use her privilege for good. After nearly a decade of consulting for financial sector clients across the Asia Pacific, she is now charting a new course, one anchored in purpose, resilience, and impact. In 2025, Shash founded Starboard Global Partners, furthering her commitment to sustainability advocacy. She is driven by the belief that sustainability is not a trend, it is a mindset, a responsibility, and a way of life.

Yu Yin Cheong (United-States)

Yu Yin, Cheong is a curious, innovative student now studying Statistics: Actuarial Science with a minor in Computing. Passionate about building inclusive communities, she founded her university’s first Actuarial Students Association club to support and empower fellow students. Today, she leads the club as president, creating opportunities for connection, growth, and leadership. She enjoys exploring how math meets real life and is interested in how risk modeling can serve people, not just numbers. Yu Yin aspires to become an actuary who drives impact through strategy, collaboration, and a strong sense of purpose.

Vinay Jain (India)

Vinay Jain is a 20-year-old Economics & Finance student and All India ranker in enterprise risk and actuarial exams. He blends risk management, AI, and storytelling to craft bold ideas like Skillset Insurance, a unique solution to career obsolescence in the age of automation. With a passion for data and drama, Vinay makes risk powerful and personal.

Anmol Sangal (India)

Anmol Sangal is a dedicated actuarial professional at MetLife in India, specializing in the life insurance domain. He is pursuing actuarial science from the Institute of Actuaries of India. Anmol has experience in life insurance modelling and valuation, playing a key role in automation, testing, model releases, and Solvency II, ORSA, LDTI, and assumption management. He has led Python upgrades, automated single policy testing, and delivered internal training. His achievements include GEM and GTO awards at MetLife, top honors at Ernst & Young, and academic competitions. A graduate of Motilal Nehru College (Delhi University), he enjoys badminton, football, and guitar.

Praveen Sancheti (India)

Praveen is a Chartered Accountant by profession who has been working in the Investment Banking industry for the past 6+ years. Besides his Chartered Accountancy, he has also cleared all the three levels of CFA and all the 15 Actuarial examinations from Institute of Actuaries of India. He carries enormous passion towards the Financial Services Industry and his diverse expertise places him at the intersection of finance, risk, and strategic advisory, driving impactful results.

Shiela Nicole Cruz (United-States)

Shiela “Shie” Nicole Cruz is currently pursuing designations with the Casualty Actuarial Society. She works in actuarial product development for Property and Casualty consumer lines. She had attended the Climate Finance Academy, which deepened her understanding of the financing challenges and opportunities in climate mitigation and adaptation. This experience strengthened her resolve to explore how the actuarial profession can help bridge climate finance and protection gaps, especially for most vulnerable communities. Shie aspires to be part of shaping a profession that solves problems that matter, one driven by greater purpose, equity, and impact.

Rasika Agarwala (United-Kingdom)

Rasika is an undergrad student pursuing statistics honors, with a minor in AI and economics. She is progressing steadily with her actuarial papers and aims to better showcase her skills at the upcoming ICA2026.

Gustavo Henrique Da Silva (Brazil)

Gustavo Henrique is a Brazilian reserving actuary with over three years of experience in the insurance market. At his current company, he leads the claims analytics unit within the Actuarial Reserving team. A student member of the Brazilian Institute of Actuaries (IBA) and part of its Technical Committee on Insurance, Gustavo believes that knowledge is a continuous ladder — and that the new generation of actuarial leaders carries the mission of innovating in long-standing risk management challenges, with technology as a key catalyst for transformation.

Stacy Gichuki (Kenya)

Stacy Gichuki is a student actuary pursuing professional exams with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). She has a BSc in actuarial science from Daystar University and currently serves as admin and finance lead at the Actuarial Society of Kenya (TASK). Stacy has managed strategic projects like the ICA 2029 bid. Passionate about data analysis, risk assessment, and inclusive insurance solutions, she combines technical proficiency with leadership experience. She is also a past president of the Actuarial Students Society of Kenya.

Tulasii Ananthan (United-Kingdom)

Tulasii Ananthan is an Actuarial Pricing Executive in Malaysia, specializing in life insurance. She has a strong background in actuarial science and develops product pricing strategies that ensure profitability and regulatory compliance. She works closely with sales, finance, and product development teams to deliver sustainable insurance solutions. Her expertise includes experience analysis, assumption setting, and actuarial modeling. She is passionate about risk management and innovation, her contribution to shaping competitive and customer-focused life and general insurance products in the Malaysian market.

Yatish Sindhani (India)

Yatish is a student member of Institute of Actuaries of India. Along with actuarial science, he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He cleared five actuarial exams within the first year of his graduation. He is passionate about Finance, Economics, Mathematics and Public Policy. Apart from this, he enjoys spending his time creating artworks using multiple mediums.

Aishani Katyal (India)

Aishani Katyal has recently completed her Masters in economics with a specialisation in Trade and Finance from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). Along with that she has cleared 6/13 actuarial papers as of yet for IAI. She is passionate designing bold, data-driven solutions for real-world problems at the intersection of people, policy, and global change.

Matthew Di Nicolantonio (Canada)

Matthew is an actuary at Manulife with over six years of experience in the field. He currently holds a non-traditional role in Product & Insurance Risk Management, collaborating with underwriting and claims teams to ensure new product initiatives align with the company’s risk appetite. Beyond his professional responsibilities, Matthew is actively involved in the actuarial community at Manulife. He serves as the co-lead for the recruitment of actuarial students in Quebec and co-chairs a committee that organizes social and wellness events for employees across Canada. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys bouldering, playing badminton, discussing politics and playing mahjong.

Cristoph Koller (Austria)

Christoph Koller was born in Vienna, Austria. After finishing an economic oriented school and his military service, he started studying financial and actuarial mathematics at the technological university of Vienna. Simultaneously, he has been working as an intern for 14 months at UNIQA. In the fall of 2024 he finished his bachelor degree, started the masters programme and became a tutor in the lecture of risk management.

Realeboha Quinton Molaba (South Africa)

Realeboha Quinton is a 27-year old actuarial student who is currently pursing his qualification towards qualifying as a fellow actuary. He has a strong interest in general insurance and investments, with hopes of specialising in general insurance particularly climate risk. This is an emerging field that requires great expertise and as challenging as it is, he believes he is one of the actuaries who will add value to the emerging field.

Kimberly Chimsasa-Phirie (United-Kingdom)

Kimberly is an Investment Actuary based in London, working at the intersection of insurance, pensions, and sustainable finance. Her work focuses on aligning long-term investment strategy with real-world outcomes, particularly through the Matching Adjustment framework and capital modelling. She believes actuaries have a critical role to play in bridging the global SDG financing gap by influencing how capital is allocated across sectors and generations. Through her video, she aims to show how our technical skills can help redesign financial systems to serve people and planet.

Melanie Merino (Argentina)

Melanie Merino, born in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a Certified Public Accountant, Taxation Specialist, university lecturer, and current Actuarial Science student at the University of Buenos Aires. She is registered with the Professional Council of Economic Sciences of Buenos Aires and has seven years of experience in business consulting. Currently teaching Statistics and Predictive Methods for Management, she is deeply interested in how emerging technologies can support and transform professional development.

Justin McGee Odger (Australia)

Justin is a seasoned leader specialising in data, AI, and alternative investments. He has been recognised with top accolades from The Big Issue, Deloitte, LinkedIn, CSIRO, and Google for his international contributions to innovation. His expertise lies in bridging the gap between traditional actuarial methods and cutting-edge, data-driven solutions, with a passion for communicating these concepts simply in order to drive economic value.