Got a counteroffer after telling your boss you’re resigning? It’s a big deal for your career, so take some time to figure out what to do. So, what exactly is a counteroffer? It’s when your current boss tries to one-up the offer you got from another job. They essentially …
Just received a counteroffer? What should you do? Read More »
Happy New Year! 2022 was an exciting year for SKL – we expanded SKL Actuarial and set up SKL Technology to better serve our clients. SKL Asia is based in Singapore, covering the Singapore, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asian markets. Qualified Actuary Cynthia Shen leads SKL Asia and some of …
The above image is a lithography print by M.C Escher, called Relativity. This could be seen as the modern representation of career progression. It used to be that a common career progression would look like a linear path, where you enter the workforce at a junior level and advance in …
THE BEST CAREER PATH IS NOT ALWAYS STRAIGHTFORWARD Read More »
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to work and home life across the globe. Many companies were forced to act swiftly to safeguard employees and migrate to a new way of working that even the most extreme business-continuity plans hadn’t envisioned. Across many industries, company C Suites will …
It is now well and truly March 2021 but it feels like January 2021 was such a long time ago. In terms of demand for actuarial resources, 2020 proved to be a lot more resilient relative to our expectations at the start of the lockdown. Work from home was the …
What are the reasons for considering what seems to be a counter-intuitive move? Let’s look at why individuals consider why they feel the ‘need’ to do so. We all experience times in our working career where we look at others and wonder what led them to their particular career paths. …
With the end of December coming up faster than one’s ability to even remember the new year resolutions we made at the beginning of this year, let alone figure out if you’ve achieved them, take a look at these statistics and see why setting smaller and realistic goals in 2020 …
New Year, New (Me)ntality – Set Goals, Not Resolutions Read More »
Despite how tumultuous and challenging 2020 has been, SKL has adapted well to the changes that this year has brought to our office and to how we conduct our business. All members of our team remained in their positions dutifully, with no reductions in salary and a brilliant groupwork mentality …
Chasing Away 2020 Negativities with SKL Festivities Read More »
2020. The year of COVID, lockdown and working from home. No doubt this will be a memorable year for all us. For job hunters and recruiters, the terrain of looking for a job is now very different to pre-COVID days. No longer are we advising candidates to give a firm …
Well here we are coming out the other end of over 12 weeks of working from home (WFH). As a significant portion of my role involves people – meeting with people, interviewing people, relating to and advising people, I’ve found the change from face-to-face meetings the most dramatic difference. Yes, …
Lockdown during COVID and the Impact on Actuarial Recruitment Read More »
The current circumstances may have given many Australians their first experience of working prolonged, full time periods online from their home or personal space. Working from home is almost a dream come true for most of us. There are the obvious perks; no travel time so more sleep (I know …
Working at Home during a Crisis; Useful Productivity Tips from the SKL Team Read More »
As actuaries, we are lucky in these challenging times to be able to work remotely with most insurance companies having Business Continuity Plans and so are somewhat prepared for this situation. At times like this, having insurance companies fully functional to handle claims and give some reassurance to new and …
As we all come to terms with the size and impact of the COVID-19 crisis there is a great sense of uncertainty and this is not a comfortable place to be. As humans we often seek some clarity, perhaps you find yourself looking back on the “boring old day to …
Stepping Up to Leadership: Looking for Opportunity in Disruption. Read More »
“It’s not about being good at something, it’s about being good to yourself.” Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning the SKL office becomes a yoga studio, we lie down the mats and spend an hour with Chai our teacher. Despite the fact that we are surrounded by computers, printer, and desks …
SKL Yoga: where Head Stands and Head Hunting meet Read More »
In November 2003, the International Actuarial Association (IAA) created a special program called Actuaries Without Borders (AWB) with a mission to provide temporary actuarial services and actuarial education for geographical areas that clearly lack the resources and infrastructure needed to build their own actuarial industry. The AWB is consisted of …
1. Consistent effort day in day out Peak performance doesn’t happen instantly or naturally. To achieve optimal performance you need to put in the effort over an extended period of time. Research shows that many top athletes will start their next phase of training immediately after their major games are …
They may be the opposite sides of the world to each other, but is working as an actuary in Australia compared to the UK really that different? Having worked in the UK for 10 years and then Australia for 8 years as an actuary I share some of my observations. …
As part of running a growing recruitment consulting business in a fast paced, dynamic environment of “constant change”, both in our clients organisational structures and the market, this topic sits at the forefront of my mind. I strongly believe that team dynamics has a major influence on the performance of …
After 8 months travelling around Europe, I found myself in London looking for work. Jobs in recruitment were advertised everywhere. I thought my psychology studies would be beneficial and contribute productively in this type of role. Some months later when I gave recruiting actuaries a shot, I realised that …
“Why I’m in recruitment. The benefits of pursuing a career in something you love” Read More »
So when I googled images for Director this is what came up! But your view of Board directors is probably more like a senior white male in a suit who works in a room like this. My experience as a director has been for a small business, the Actuaries Institute …
Studying while working part-time is becoming a reality for more and more students. This can be attributed to a number of reasons including higher living costs associated with life in big cities, the ambition to gain professional experience early on, or perhaps the generational obsession with smashed avocado and …
It is that time of year again (although none of us can really believe it), and many of us are starting to wind down and prepare for the Christmas break. For our last blog post of the year, the SKL team have collaborated to reflect on the year. As …
Living and working overseas is something many aspire to. Alternatively an opportunity is suddenly presented and you need to know what to think about. As an actuary, global opportunities exist as the qualification is well recognised and the profession well regarded around the world. As an Associate or Fellow …
I love to travel – how can I combine this with my work? Read More »
Last year, I attended the “Women in Leadership Program”, a short course run through the UNSW Business School. It was an extremely insightful and reflective program and I walked away with some additional tools and learnings which have hugely benefited me in working on my leadership skills. In my …
Gender diversity within the workplace through the eyes of a gender studies student. Reading the title, you might think that this will be an opinion piece from the perspective of a young female, ranting about how there need to be more females in senior positions with equal pay. …
The current environment has generated a lot of excitement around the developments in data analytics and robotics. Clearly there are immense opportunities but there is also some concern and anxiety around the potential redundancy for actuaries and how this will affect job prospects in the future. My personal belief …
SKL were proud to be the barista sponsor of the Financial Services Forum 2018 event! Jas Singh was also the curator for the Broader Fields segment. The event was well-attended and a special thanks to all the volunteers who either spoke at the event or helped to organise it.
Jas Singh and Aliza Yau are back from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Asia Conference in Bangkok with some key highlights and insights below: Defining Key attributes of Actuary of the Future Networker Data Analyst Transformer Technology Focused Futurist and an inventor Commercial insights Chinese insurers continue to be …
Arsene Wenger has resigned as Manager of Arsenal Football Club after 22 years in charge. He is credited with leading the evolution of English Premier League in terms of diet, training, stretching and preparation for matches; in short, with leading the overhaul of the whole support structure for professional …
Arsene Wenger resigns, John Killick is ongoing. 22 years in the business Read More »
SKL is proud to be the silver sponsor of the Financial Services Forum to be held in May 18. Jas Singh has also been involved as the curator for the Broader Fields segment. All of us at SKL are looking forward to the event and we encourage everybody to attend. …
Jenny Lyon, Director of SKL Actuarial was interviewed by Danielle Di Sano on 14 February 2018, uncovering some practical insights about moving roles. https://www.actuaries.digital/2018/02/26/the-ethics-of-moving-roles-careerview-podcast/
Interview Tips It is always good to treat any meeting with a prospective employer seriously whether it is a formal interview or a casual coffee catch-up as the first impression are important. It’s an opportunity for the prospective employer to find out about you and why you are the right …
Earlier in the week at the FSC Life Insurance Awards Dinner, SKL Managing Director Jas Singh presented the Industry Leader award to Jenny Oliver (General Manager, Group Insurance from TAL) & Julie-Ann MacCormick, (Senior Manager Rehabilitation Services from CommInsure). SKL was honoured to be one of the sponsors of …
SKL Consultants John Killick and Jas Singh attended the 2018 Cat Risk Seminar which was held on the 20th March. This brought together experts and professionals from a wide background whose expertise promoted vigorous discussion. The theme of this year’s seminar was “Funding Future Resilience” – https://www.actuaries.asn.au/microsites/cat-risk-seminar-2018/program/speakers The plenaries covered …
SKL Managing Director, Jas Singh (FIAA) attended the 2018 ASFA Spotlight on Insurance in Super on the 27th of Feburaury. It was a well attended session with distinguished line up of speakers. Some of the key themes coming out of the conference included: Gaining the public trust back in …
February Highlight Jenny reflects on the actuarial profession and market for actuaries following her year as president of the Actuaries Institute in 2017 A key highlight for me as president was meeting so many members across Australia and overseas, particularly in Asia. This gave me the opportunity to discover the …
February Highlight- Jenny’s reflection on being President 2017 Read More »
Last week SKL Managing Consultant Jas Singh FIAA attended the Pacific Insurance Conference (PIC) in Hong Kong. It was well attended by Life Insurance, Retirement Savings and Wealth Management Industry Leaders such as CEOs, Senior Executives, Regulators, Educators and Senior Consultants.
Aliza attended the FSC retirement income conference and here is some of her insights: The big topic that the conference discussed was that although it was been 25 years since superannuation was introduced in Australia, many Australians are still unprepared for the risks of retirement today. The conference largely addressed …
SKL Consultants attended the 2017 Injury & Disability Schemes Seminar in Brisbane earlier this week. Jas shares his insights: ‘We are so lucky to be living in Australia as it was brought to attention that the road accidents rate is so much better relative to other developed countries around the …
Actuaries Institute 2017 Injury & Disability Schemes Seminar Read More »
Last week, SKL consultants Sara Lee and Aliza Yau attended the 2017 Data Analytics Seminar at the Actuaries Institute. It was indeed a very interesting seminar. It provided an opportunity to the actuarial community to get an insight into Data Analytics field. Speakers were from various backgrounds. Key highlights …
Photo by Mike Enerio on Unsplash Last week SKL Director, Jas Singh attended Singapore Actuarial Society General Insurance Conference. The theme of the conference was “Disrupt or be Disrupted”. As you can guess by the theme data analytics, automation was a popular topic of discussion and in some sessions …
Singapore Actuarial Society General Insurance Conference Read More »
The entire team of SKL along with some of our industry friends and acquaintances attended the CPD session at the Institute yesterday. David Morrison, a retired senior office of the Australian Army has given a moving and powerful speech on his view on leadership. He served as Chief of …
2017 Actuaries Institute CPD Tour with David Morrison on Empowering Leadership Read More »
SKL Directors Jas Singh and Jenny Lyon attended the FSC Life Insurance Conference 2017 on Thursday 30th March. Our consultants frequently attend insurance industry events to stay on top of industry developments and provide our clients and candidates with quality insights. This particular event was well attended with strong representation …
SKL Directors Jas Singh and Jenny Lyon attended the FSC Life Insurance Conference 2017 on Thursday 30th March. Our consultants frequently attend insurance industry events to stay on top of industry developments and provide our clients and candidates with quality insights. This particular event was well attended with strong representation …
The speaker Dai Liu, who is a senior actuary at iCare has given a good summary on iCare in regards to its History, Vision & Purpose, Story and Actuarial Role. Operator: iCare Regulator: SIRA iCare’s Value: change the way people think about insurance & care Protect Insurance Care iCare’s Purpose: …
It was a useful session that SKL consultants have attended yesterday. The speakers Anthony Carey (Head of Investments at CommInsure) and Chit Wai Wong (Data Analytics Manager at AIA) have discussed the challenges for the insurance industry that were caused by the low interest rate environment in the recent years. …
Insight Session: Asset Liability Management in a Low Interest Rate Environment Read More »
SKL Consultants attended the Insight Session at the Actuaries Institute on Risk Culture today. The Head of Governance, Culture & Remuneration at APRA, Fahmi Hosain discussed the following key items. What’s the risk culture? – risk culture can be thought of as the impact of organisational culture on risk management. …
SKL consultants attended the “Impact of Big Data on the future insurance” session at the Actuaries Institute that was hosted by Jenny Lyon, the President of the Actuaries Institute. This Green Paper was authored by Deloitte and commissioned by the Actuaries Institute. The key speakers were Kaise Stephen, …
Last week, SKL consultants attended the 2017 Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) Annual Forum. Here are some highlights of the day. Social license given by the community was discussed. We never thought of the insurance business in this context but fundamentally speaking, any operating business or industry only exists because …
2017 Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) Annual Forum Read More »
I attended the CEPAR Longevity workshop last week and you could literally tell from the name, it was very technical and full of crazy formulas. However, it covered the very important perceptions for future trends in mortality modelling which will impact annuity price, people and society. Mortality model …
Actuaries Digital Editor Kirsten Flynn asks five experienced actuaries for their top tips, to help keep your career moving. Read more here : http://www.actuaries.digital/2016/01/28/seven-tips-to-keep-your-career-moving/ Jenny Lyon Director, SKL Executive Pty Ltd Make connections Try and develop connections with people outside your team and your organisation. You will …
Actuaries Digital : Top tips to keep your career moving Read More »
