Working at
Taylor Fry

Is being an actuary what you expected?
Being an actuary involves a lot more people management and communication than I expected. At university, we receive good training on the technical side and the actuarial approach to problem solving. Operating in a workplace however, you need to use your soft-skills just as much, and if not more than your technical skills. Being a good colleague and a successful consultant, is all about empathising with your peers and clients, understanding their problems and priorities, and then using your technical skills to find the best solution for them. Without good EQ and soft-skills, strong technical skills are quite useless!

Your guilty pleasure?
Definitely, the TF snacks cupboard. If you don’t get to the favourites box quickly, you’re left with only cherry ripes and Turkish delights to eat!

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in my family, and particularly in my parents. They came to Australia not knowing anyone here and rebuilt their lives from scratch, with very limited resources and still maintaining a hopeful and positive attitude along the way. I feel energised and inspired thinking about my parents – if they could achieve so much, with such few resources, then for me, the world is my oyster!

If you could be a character in any movie, who would you be?
Probably Disney’s Mulan. The courage, sacrifice, integrity, and perseverance she showed throughout the movie will always be inspiring and is something to strive for!

What’s your advice for someone wanting to be an actuary?
Be prepared to study! Exams are challenging and take a long time get through, so require you to be committed to your goal. It took me a while, but it was completely worth it to know that I have a qualification that will help me take my career to the next level.

What drives you?
The fear of failure, but I’ve also learned that ‘failure is always an option’ and an opportunity to learn.

What’s next for you at work?
I recently qualified as a Fellow actuary so no longer have to study and am enjoying all my free time! However, as a recently qualified Fellow and Manager, I will have to take on more responsibility and be more of a leader to the Consultants. It will be challenging but an opportunity to learn and grow.

When have you stepped out of your comfort zone?
The first time I stepped on stage to do stand-up, but now I’m more comfortable on stage than off! Stepping outside my comfort zone started a journey that has taken me to a NZ International Comedy Festival Gala appearance and a Billy T Nomination (look it up!).

What do you love about working with data?
It’s a mix of problem-solving, creativity and storytelling – challenging, but rewarding when you get it right.

What’s exciting about the analytics landscape right now?
The open sourcing of powerful tools for natural language processing is fantastic. This public accessibility has made it much easier to tap into the large amounts of rich text data most organisations hold.

Has becoming a parent changed your perspective on work or life?
Of course. Despite being tiny at first (though that changes fast!), they manage to pull your life into an orbit around them and force you to focus on what’s important.

Favourite thing to do to wind down?
Relax with my dog on the couch. He’ll race from another room if he hears you sit down, so he can sleep in your lap, often with a sigh, as if to say, “Finally!”

What do you value most at work?
A culture of collaboration across the business. I appreciate Taylor Fry’s open culture which allows all staff to contribute to strategy and culture, regardless of their position in the organisation.

Your guilty pleasure?
Ancestry TV shows and murder mystery novels.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My Grandad used to say, “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.” I try to remember that by enjoying every minute and taking risks.

Who’s your favourite famous person and why?
Michelle Obama. She’s smart, beautiful, articulate and classy. What’s not to like?!

What drew you to working with data?
I love being able to see aspects of human behaviour through insights from data. It’s like having special x-ray vision of our society.

When are you happiest at work? 
I’m happiest when I can make a difference. Seeing the results of our work be meaningful and interesting to our clients, particularly when it involves improving our health system, makes me really happy.

Do you have a hidden talent?
I make wedding and special-occasion cakes – just for friends and family.

What can’t you live without?
My family. 

What keeps things interesting at work?
Solving new and interesting problems for clients and the challenge of balancing my time commitments across competing responsibilities.

What do you value most at work?
Working in an environment with people I admire and respect, where the main focus is doing a good job, and where politics and hierarchy are largely absent.

What do you admire most in others?
Integrity, courage and compassion.

When are you happiest outside of work?
When I’m with my family or in wild and remote places.