An Actuary Like Me – Kirsten Sasady
I am proud to be an actuary because when we use our skills with the customers’ best interests in mind, we can really make a big difference in people’s lives.
Kirsten Sasady is a Danish senior actuary with extensive experience across non-life insurance, life insurance, pensions and risk management. She is an expert in Solvency II and broader insurance and pensions regulation, since she represented the Danish regulator in EIOPA while the Solvency framework was developed. Kirsten makes a difference for boards and senior business leaders by translating technically difficult tasks into something easily accessible. She specialise in non-life insurance, Solvency II and general risk management.
Why are you proud to be an actuary?
When we use our skills with the customers’ best interests in mind, we can really make a big difference in people’s lives.
What is the most valuable skill an actuary can possess?
Not to be blinded by their own financial interests, but instead keeping a wholehearted focus on helping customers and on contributing to maintaining financial stability.
What is your advice for younger/rising actuaries?
Same as the above, i.e. focus on how you can use your abilities to make a difference for others.
What’s something an outsider wouldn’t know about your industry?
There is actually a large global community where we actuaries meet and form lifelong friendships. So, we are not quite as introverted as one would think. Some of my best friends are actuaries from other parts of the world, whom I try to see as often as I can.
Any other cities/countries you have worked in?
London – and when I participated in developing the Solvency II framework within EIOPA, I travelled to meetings and firm visits all over Europe at least twice a month.
What’s the most interesting trend for 2023?
How we can adapt our work to deal with the effects of climate change.
Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for actuaries?
I think our profession’s greatest threat is our tendency to feel superior to others. If we succeed in putting a lid on that and instead are open to improve ourselves and learn from other areas of expertise, I see no limits to our potential development paths.
What do you do to recharge each day?
I dream of which parts of the world I will explore on my next trip. I suffer from a severe case of wanderlust.
What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?
I don’t have much free time – I have three small children! Travelling is my main hobby – I do it often both with and without my family. I have travelled to 73 countries so far and am eager to see more.
What’s the phone app you use most?
Camera! I love taking photos. In my next life I want to be a travel photographer!
What is your favourite random fact?
According to the UN the world currently has 195 countries and more than 50 of these are in Africa!
What is on your bucket list?
A trip to explore the Easter Island, Patagonia and Antarctica!
If you had millions of dollars, what would you do every day?
Try to live a non-stressful life and enjoy the little things.
If you lived 500 years in the future, what do you think your profession would be?
Teaching people that the key to happiness is not to accumulate wealth, power and material goods – it is to contribute in some way to making things better and to making a difference for others.
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