My daughter recently entered a Royal Mail competition in which she was asked to apply for her dream job.
My daughter recently entered a Royal Mail competition in which she was asked to apply for her dream job. Being the daughter of an actuary, it is not entirely surprising that she chose the job of a chief actuary. However, her letter and her message highlights an issue that is worthy of further development. This is of either no insurance or under-insurance in certain parts of the world. She feels she is one of the lucky ones because we can afford to protect ourselves through insurance.
There were 100,000 entries into the competition and Gabriella made it through to be a regional finalist.
In addition to highlighting a real-world issue, it's great to see actuarial work being so highly acclaimed. Here is an extract from the whole letter
(bit.ly/1SVaDvX): "I would like you to consider me for your chief actuary role. This is my dream job because I like a challenge and I love maths. Some of the largest centres for reinsurance are in London, New York and Bermuda, which are my favourite places in the world.
I know that some places in the world are not as lucky as we are, such as the Philippines. They get lots of tsunamis there. I know I can't stop tsunamis happening. But I can help people rebuild their lives after these events have happened. I would not like to think what it would be like for them, having to wake up in the morning with the fear that a tsunami could hit the beach at any moment.
I'd be the right person for the job because I care about being sensible with numbers. I am eight years old and I am always questioning maths... I was born in Bermuda and have lived through hurricanes myself, and I know it is a worrying time for people and I would like to give them reassurance in my role as chief actuary."
Andrew Couper, FIA, group chief actuary and head of risk, Aspen
22 March 2016