Taylor Fry boosts climate expertise

Dr Meyricke is the chair of the Actuaries Institute Climate & Sustainability Practice Committee and holds a PhD from Cambridge on the connection between the resilience of supply chains and investment returns in today’s interconnected world.

She brings more than 20 years’ experience in the financial sector, most recently as Director of Policy and Research at IFM Investors, where she led thought leadership, policy advocacy and strategic initiatives, including on climate change.

“It has never been more important to understand and manage climate risk and to build resilience – especially in Australia,” she says. “Events like the LA fires and Australia’s east coast floods in 2022 are destroying homes and businesses – they’re challenging communities and pushing up insurance costs.”

As the impacts of climate change worsen, Dr Meyricke adds, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are falling short of what’s needed.

“It has never been more important to understand and manage climate risk and to build resilience – especially in Australia.”

For meaningful progress to take place, she believes we must transition the way we go about business and economic activity. “We must build resilience in our society and communities, as well as our businesses and environment.”

She says the actuarial skillset is key. “Actuaries are used to assessing and managing risks to our community that are uncertain, potentially catastrophic and often long term – a perfect combination for us to make an impact in the climate space.”

Taylor Fry co-founder and fellow principal Alan Greenfield says the addition of Dr Meyricke to the team is very exciting. “Ramona was responsible for establishing our climate practice a few years ago, so it’s fantastic to welcome her back as we expand our offering. It’s such a crucial time – for organisations, as they prepare for mandatory disclosures, and for governments, as they ramp up their actions to support achieving net zero.”

He says Dr Meyricke’s experience and collaborative approach will add critical perspective to the challenges ahead. “Ramona’s ability to draw teams together across sectors, combined with her specialist expertise in climate and financial risk, will help organisations identify, measure and manage climate risk, and capture opportunities arising from the economic transition.”

Find out more about Dr Meyricke’s work and our how we help our clients navigate their climate risks.