Lately there have been an increasing number of shark attacks off the NSW coast. I’m increasingly having a conversation with friends about why the number of sharks is increasing. But are there more sharks? Or just more shark attacks? First on the shark attacks. In 2015 we have had a hugeContinue Reading
In June 1958, under Alf Pollard’s leadership, Australia’s first commercial computer was installed in the MLC buildings in North Sydney. MLC was (and still is) one of Australia’s biggest life insurers. The computer weighed five tonnes, had a room of its own, cost £160,000 and took 20 million times longerContinue Reading
Last year, after a spate of cycling deaths, I posted about the riskiness of cycling in Sydney. I concluded that cycling Sydney’s streets is actually safer than it was 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve gone back to a regular commute – I’m cycling to work two or three timesContinue Reading
Today’s book review is of I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time, by Laura Vanderkam. Those of my readers who know me in real life will know that I have recently started a new job (hence the lack of blog posts here).Continue Reading
I’ve blogged about the role of the Appointed Actuary before – here and here. My own view has been that we need to positively define the role of the Appointed Actuary, and that, at least in life insurance, it should be closer to the first line of defence (ie managing theContinue Reading
This week’s Economist has a sobering article about the gap between black and white america. It included a graphic of various statistics, showing the difference between black and white america on a range of measures. It also showed how the two compared with various countries around the world – forContinue Reading
On Anzac Day, it seems a good time to remember one of the soldiers in my family – my grandfather. He was lucky – he came back, and had five children and lived a long life after the war, even though he was wounded. I never met him, as he died whenContinue Reading
On Wednesday this week (22 April), I am part of a panel discussion on ICAAP – comparing and contrasting the experience across the banking, life and general insurance industries. I’m representing life insurance. This post summarises the points from my introduction. I’ll come back and update with any interesting pointsContinue Reading
On Thursday, the FSC and the AFA released the Trowbridge report. John Trowbridge was appointed as chair of a Life Insurance and Advice working group to review the misaligned incentives identified in ASIC’s damning report from last year. The group was asked to make recommendations on how the industry can respondContinue Reading
I’ve written a few times about how progressing women in the workplace also involves more change than just the workplace. Annabel Crabb puts it best: In focusing so hard on encouraging women to lean in, we’ve neglected to convince men of their entitlement to lean out once in a while.Continue Reading