The Actuarial Society of Kenya (TASK) was founded in 1993 and this marks the 31st year. TASK brings together qualified and trainee actuaries in professional, educational and research organisations with an aim of promoting the actuarial profession.
We are thrilled to welcome you to the 9th Annual Actuarial Convention 2024, an event that brings together bright minds in the world of risk management and actuarial science. This conference is a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and share insights with fellow actuaries, industry leaders, and aspiring professionals. With a focus on innovation, data analytics, and the ever-evolving landscape of risk, this year’s conference promises to be an exceptional experience for all attendees with the THEME of the convention being: “Beyond Emerging Risks: Innovating Resilience and Adaptation”
This year’s theme, “Beyond Emerging Risks: Innovating Resilience and Adaptation,” is a call to action for actuaries to move beyond merely identifying new risks. It challenges us to develop and implement innovative strategies that not only build resilience but also ensure effective adaptation in our dynamic world.
Experience the tranquility of Mombasa while enhancing your professional skills and knowledge. This convention is an opportunity to advance your career and contribute to the future of the actuarial profession in Kenya.
Welcome cocktail & Networking
Arrival and Registration
Welcome Address : Lorraine Njue (TASK President)
Keynote Address: IFOA President Kartina Tahir Thomson
Artificial Inteligence (AI): Ayisi Makatiani (Caava VantagePoint AI)
Master class
ESG Elias Omondi
Master class 1
ESG Elias Omondi
Master class 2
IFRS17 Judith and Antony (PWC Kenya)
Masterclass
Arrival and Registration
Welcome Address
Opening Remarks
Keynote Address
Presentation: Climate Risk Management and Green Technologies
Panel Discussion: Insurance Solutions for Climate Risks
Presentation: Climate Adaptation Strategies
Sustainability in Actuarial Practice
Breakout 1: Leveraging Big Data for Resilience
Breakout 2: Actuarial Models for Emerging Risks
Recap and Closing Remarks
Recreational Activity – Boat Ride
Arrival and Registration
Welcome Address
Opening Remarks
Keynote Address – David Cummings
Presentation-Harnessing AI and Data in Insurance by Anton Clennar
Panel Discussion: Cybersecurity Risks – Actuarial Perspectives
Presentation: IFRS 17 and Insurance Regulation
Panel Discussion: Actuaries and Policy Formulation
Panel Discussion: Actuaries and Policy Formulation
Breakout 1: Technological Advances in Actuarial Science
Breakout 2: Predictice Analytics and Regulation
Presentation: Risk Management in the Digital Age
Recap and Closing Remarks
Convention Photo Session
Gala Dinner
Timothy Machira, Senior Manager
Actuary – 9+ years’ experience.
Timothy is a Senior Manager in the Financial Institutions Services Team at Deloitte East Africa.
He has experience in actuarial and policyholder liability reviews both in the life and non-life insurance industry, investment and pensions actuarial consulting.
He is the project manager for an IFRS 17 implementation and quality assurance project for a Tier I insurer in East Africa.
He has also led IFRS 9 implementations and risk based pricing projects for banking clients in East and Southern Africa.
He has also conducted IFRS 17 training for several stakeholders in the East African insurance market.
He is also the project manager for a risk-based capital disclosures project for a reinsurance company.
Sheila is a fellow of the institute of Actuaries, with a specialization in General and Medical insurance. She has a wealth of experience in consulting, having worked with both private and public sectors. Sheila has a strong background in education and a deep understanding of the insurance industry.
What sets Sheila apart is her genuine passion of using insurance as a tool to enhance the quality and dignity of people’s lives. During her free weekends, you’ll find Sheila dancing to salsa music!
Sheila is a fellow of the institute of Actuaries, with a specialization in General and Medical insurance. She has a wealth of experience in consulting, having worked with both private and public sectors. Sheila has a strong background in education and a deep understanding of the insurance industry.
What sets Sheila apart is her genuine passion of using insurance as a tool to enhance the quality and dignity of people’s lives. During her free weekends, you’ll find Sheila dancing to salsa music!
Mukami Njeru is currently the Head of the Actuarial and Insurance Management practice in the West Market Area for PwC; a member of the IFoA Council; Risk Management Practice Board and Member Engagement Committee. She is also a Director at the Actuarial Academy of East Africa.
She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise working with organizations such as Swiss Re, Kenbright, as well as being a PwC Alumnus. Mukami has previously worked as a Director of the Risk Management Center at Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya and currently sits on the Management Board of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, United Kingdom.
She has navigated the industry for several years, working with prominent organizations and leading projects that have made a significant impact on their business outcomes and is a Certified Enterprise Risk Actuary (CERA) as well as a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FIA) and of The Actuarial Society of Kenya (FeASK).
She has a deep understanding of the insurance landscape, along with her expertise in actuarial science and risk management as well as a proven track record of implementing innovative strategies, optimizing risk models, and leveraging cutting-edge methods to drive growth and profitability with consideration of the underlying risks and risk management across various jurisdictions – Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific.
She is passionate about the role that actuaries can play in enabling better business decisions and outcomes as well as in the societal journey towards Sustainability.
Mary Ndaba is a nearly qualified actuary with extensive experience in general insurance, reinsurance and actuarial education. She currently serves as the actuary of East Africa Reinsurance Company. She’s passionate about mentoring and training, which she does on a regular basis. During her free time, Mary enjoys cooking and dancing.
Ezekiel Macharia Mburu FIA, FeASK
CEO, Kenbright
Ezekiel Macharia is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK) and a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of Kenya, a testament to his unparalleled expertise in actuarial science.
In 2016, Ezekiel embarked on a transformative path with Kenbright Holdings, a prominent player in the financial services sector, assuming the roles of CEO and Chief Actuary. He has steered the company’s subsidiaries across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to greater heights.
With an extensive experience spanning over fifteen years in the East African market, Ezekiel’s expertise extends across a diverse spectrum of insurance sectors, encompassing pensions, property & casualty, life and health.
Ezekiel has been active in the actuarial profession where he served for six years on the Council of the Actuarial Society of Kenya (TASK) and was one of the founders of the Actuarial Academy of East Africa (AAEA).
Kenbright’s role in the pension sector includes being a registered as an actuary for the Retirement Benefit Authority where Ezekiel has assisted various pension schemes in investment policy statements (IPSs), actuarial valuations and designing and deployment of post-retirement medical programs.
Recent graduate of Egerton University with a bachelor of science in Actuarial Science. My current life goals are to challenge myself, fulfill my professional dream of becoming a qualified Actuary and gain financial freedom. I enjoy reading books and despite my best efforts i can’t walk in a straight file
Darryl Ursin
Heath and P&C Actuary, Old Mutual Group
Darryl Ole Ursin is an Actuarial Specialist at Old Mutual Group working from the Nairobi office. His work broadly covers risk management, financial reporting, product development and analytics for General Insurance & Health in East Africa. He has taken key and leading roles in several projects, including the implementation of a new financial reporting standard and most proudly, the design of Kenya’s first low-cost community cancer insurance product.
Darryl is an exam-qualified actuary with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and an alumnus of the London School of Economics, graduating with a bachelor’s in actuarial science.
Charles Njue, AIA
Heath and P&C Actuary, Old Mutual Group
Charles is a General Insurance and Health Actuary, currently serving at Old Mutual Group, a renowned multinational financial services company. Specializing in the confluence of business strategy and actuarial, Charles has been instrumental in shaping the company’s trajectory through cutting-edge product development, capital modelling, robust reserving, and strategic risk management.
He brings a considerable wealth of expertise, garnered from his extensive experience as an actuary specializing in General Insurance and Health Insurance. This expertise has been cultivated through holding key roles in leading corporations within the market. Additionally, he is an alumnus of the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, where he refined his analytical and problem-solving skills.
Donald is the Head of Actuarial and Financial Services at Acentria Group. He is a qualified actuary and a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in United Kingdom. He holds an MSc in Actuarial Management from Bayes Business School in London, and a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science with Information Technology.
He is an expert in actuarial techniques and risk management, with great interest in innovation and how tech and finance can be merged to deliver sustainable financial solutions. He has worked on numerous innovative projects, including development of a reinsurance pricing and optimization tool, to guide (re)insurance companies in impact assessment of reinsurance and retro structures.
He is also an expert in the IFRS17 reporting standard and the current secretary to the TASK IFRS Working Party. Before joining Acentria, Donald was responsible for guiding Jubilee Holding Limited in transitioning to the IFRS17 reporting standard across 4 countries in East Africa, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. He also worked for the Insurance Regulatory Authority in Kenya, where he was responsible for actuarial analytics and driving innovation.
Alvin is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FIA) with more than 10 years’ experience in the consulting, banking, life insurance and micro insurance industries.
He is a Senior Actuary at Dial An Actuary, a professional services firm that offers actuarial expertise on demand across the actuarial, data analytics and research pillars as well as performance optimisation to both private and public sector organizations. Dial An Actuary provides its services in Africa, Europe and North America.
In his years of experience, Alvin has led teams of actuaries assisting clients with various projects including portfolio management, reserving, pricing, and product development as well as other actuarial risk management topics such as the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA).
Anthony is the Group Actuary of ICEA LION holding company where he is responsible for all actuarial support provided to the ICEA LION member companies that span the East African region. He is responsible for enhancing the actuarial function to support IFRS implementation, Modeling, Valuation, Asset Liability Matching, Capital Management, Pricing and Actuarial advisory. He has a Masters of Science in Actuarial Science from Temple University, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from North Carolina State University, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (USA), a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) and a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).
Prior to the current assignment, he spent the prior fifteen years as an Actuary in different functions at Prudential Financial in the United States and Prudential Holdings of Japan. He has successfully worked in the following insurance product/areas: Variable annuities, Non-profit Retirement pricing, Economic capital modeling, Niche Health insurance (Long Term Care) and Actuarial system conversion. His experience in the two markets includes the following key insurance functions product development, financial modeling, valuation and financial reporting.
He is keen on the development of Actuaries across the African continent and has served as a chair of the mentoring committee of the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA). He has been for years a volunteer of the actuaries without boarders (AWB) focusing on actuaries in Africa.
Kalpana Shah has 30 years of business experience in the insurance and investment industry. She was longstanding Group Chief Actuary and Partner at Hiscox until 2016.
She is now one of a handful of female Chairs in the insurance industry and a non-executive director of several organisations.
She is also a liveryman and committee member of the Worshipful Company of Insurers and a trustee for Unitas, a local charity supporting young people. She has Chaired and contributed to committees for the IFoA, Bank of England, Lloyd’s of London and the Bermuda Monetary Authority.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalpana headed the first voluntary team of actuaries helping the UK’s National Health Service with emergency analytics and planning.
Kalpana is a regular judge for the Women in Insurance Awards and a frequent speaker on insurance and diversity related topics.
Over the years she has been recognised for her work by organisations including the Institute of Directors, Financial Times, Cranfield University, Insurance Insider and Brummell Magazine.
Kalpana became President-elect in June 2022 and President in September 2023.
Hon. KAITUKO Geoffrey Eyanae is the immediate former Principal Secretary for the State Department of Labour and Skills Development,in the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Republic of Kenya . He became Principal Secretary of Labor on December 1, 2022. Before his nomination in November 2022 and subsequent appointment by President Dr. William Ruto, he served as an Advisor for Social Sector, to the Deputy President for four (4) years. By virtue of being the Principal secretary, responsible for social security, he is a Trustee of the National Social Security Fund(NSSF) . He also serves in the boards of NITA and NEA.
His prior professional positions, were: The First Speaker of the Turkana County Assembly; Project Coordinator at the defunct Arid Lands Resource Management Project/National Drought Management Authority, District Coordinator at the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, and Field Coordinator at K-Rep Development Agency.He had a stint as an adjunct faculty for University of Nairobi and Mt. Kenya University. He also consulted for various agencies in the area of of governance and developmentPublic Policy Advisor and Consultant at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID);
He holds a professional membership at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom and Kenya as well as the Association of Chief Executive Officers (ACEOs) and Turkana Professional Association. He doubles up as the Patron of Turkana Lawyers Association and the Frontier Children Development Organisation, a non profit. In addition , he sits in the Board of Northern Rangelands Trust(NRT).
He is a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award(2019) from his Alma Mater , Western Michigan University (USA), where he graduated with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree.Hon. Kaituko is a holder of Bachelor of Laws (LLB, University of South Africa) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Arabic (University of Nairobi). He is a doctoral candidate in Public Policy at Kenyatta University.
Lastly but not the least , He is a distinguished author of the book “ Getting Things Done : The Key to Exemplary Leadership “
UK qualified actuary – FIA(UK); MSc Actuarial management (Distinction) – Bayes Business School, UK. Worked in actuarial risk management & strategy execution leadership roles, with over ten years’ experience across regulatory and financial services.
I am passionate about applying actuarial technical skills, business acumen and experience, to consistently deliver strategic organizational goals with positive impact to stakeholders. I volunteer in TASK Council & working groups, including IFRS17, Life insurance, ESG taskforce, as well as Jubilee-USIU mentorship program.
Mr. Titus Osero is a Senior Manager, Actuarial and Data Analytics at the Insurance Regulatory Authority, Kenya.
I have thirty years’ experience in Insurance Regulation and Supervision, Policy and Strategy and Research.
I have also worked in the Policy, Research and Development and Supervision Departments within the Insurance Regulatory Authority
Previously, I worked as an Actuarial Officer in the Ministry of Finance (Now The National Treasury) before then was an employee of the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC), teaching Mathematics and Physics.
I have also attended several trainings in Regulations and Supervision and Research.
I am a holder of Master of Science in Actuarial Science (University of Nairobi), Postgraduate Diploma in Actuarial Science (City University of London, UK) Bachelor of Science (Moi University) and A Diploma in Insurance (DIPCII) from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), London. I am also pursuing actuarial professional qualifications (Institute and Faculty of Actuaries).
Jay is a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of Kenya (TASK), the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IfoA) and the Nigerian Actuarial Society (NAS). Jay is the Principal Actuary at Zamara Group and has provided actuarial advice to a range of insurance companies, national health care insurers, regulators and industry associations across Africa. Jay has extensive experience having worked on reserving, pricing, product design, reinsurance, solvency and capital management, as well as corporate experience in product and process innovation, strategy, risk management, and benefits/incentives design having led the Actuarial function of a leading African insurance group.
Jay also has regulatory experience having worked with the Insurance Regulatory Authority in Kenya and is a qualified accountant with previous finance and assurance experience.
Moses is currently the General Manager, Life Insurance East Africa, for Sanlam Pan Africa. For his role, he serves on the Boards of Sanlam in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and is a Director at Hubris Holdings Ltd in Kenya.
Moses is a qualified actuary and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries UK (FIA) and a Fellow of The Actuarial Society of Kenya – TASK (FeASK). He is the immediate past chairman of TASK. He has over 20 years of experience in insurance and actuarial consulting gained in the UK, SA and Kenya.
Moses is also interested in the role of an actuary in Public Service and previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
Moses is a Rhodes Scholar and holds an MBA and MSc in Applied Statistics, both from the University of Oxford (UK) and BSc in Mathematics from the University of Nairobi.
Samuel Wamae
Chief Actuary & Head of Strategy
Sanlam Life Kenya
Samuel Wamae is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK and a Fellow of TASK with over 10 years experience in insurance and actuarial management. He is the Chief Actuary and Head of Strategy at Sanlam. Samuel holds a Bsc. Actuarial Science and MSc. Applied Actuarial Science from University of Kent, UK. He is a council member of The Actuarial Society of Kenya and serves as the secretary to the council.
Florence is a finance and business professional with a wide range of experience in the financial services industry. She is a specialist in life assurance and has over 11 years of service in insurance markets within East and Southern Africa. Her experience has been gained through an expansive career both in consulting and within industry business.
Florence, who is a qualified actuary, is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (UK) as well as the Actuarial Society of Kenya where she also serves as a Council Member.
Florence is passionate about physical as well as mental health, which she nurtures through exercising, hiking, and dining. She is an avid reader and a budding writer.
Nikhil Dodhia is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and a Certified Enterprise Risk Actuary. He has c.10 years of experience and has worked both in the insurance industry as well as consulting, leading the actuarial practice for KPMG East Africa before joining Zamara where he is a Principal Actuary. He also has previously worked in the United Kingdom at KPMG UK and Canada Life.
He is extensively involved in IFRS 17 implementations, insurance liability valuations, product pricing, employee benefit valuations, transactions, risk management, transformations, audit reviews and many more. He is currently the appointed actuary to several Insurers across the continent.
Nikhil also sits on the council for The Actuarial Society of Kenya and previously has served as a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Africa Standards Working Party.
• Joseph Birundu is an actuary with over 20 years’ experience in insurance both in the UK and
Kenya. Joseph is currently a Director at LUX Actuaries and Consultants Ltd, where he is
responsible for growing the consultancy business and providing consultancy services for
clients.
• He has worked a numbers of years in the UK for various insurance and reinsurance
companies, both as a permanent member of staff and a consultant. These companies
include: Royal Sun alliance, AVIVA, Lloyds Banking Group, AXA, Legal and General, Scor RE
and Pacific Life Re.
• He was the Group Actuary at UAP Old Mutual where he was responsible for managing the
East African Actuarial team.
• In Kenya he has advised various life and non-life companies on a consulting basis as and
when their need arose, on an appointed actuary basis and on IFRS 17 projects.
• He is a certified Risk Integrity Consultant and is licensed to implement Risk Integrity. He also
has more than 15 years’ Prophet experience.
• He is the Chair of the Life Insurance Working Party of The Actuarial society of Kenya and a
member of the IFRS 17 working party. He is the Actuarial Academy of East Africa lead tutor
for SP2 professional papers.
Sahib Singh Khosla, HSC is a mid-career, actuarial professional with 15 years of multifaceted experiences.
He holds prestigious Fellowships of the United Kingdom’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FIA) and The Actuarial Society of Kenya (FeASK).
Sahib’s wide experience (technical, managemental, directorship/trusteeship) spans across organization types (corporate, consulting, regulatory, academia) in a variety of structures(public/private, traditional/emerging) across the financial services sector (insurance, pensions, banking) in emerging markets.
Sahib is currently Executive Director, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer & Resident Actuary at Lux Actuaries & Consultants Kenya (Africa’s fastest growing actuarial firm) and Adjunct Faculty at Strathmore University’s Institute of Mathematical Sciences.
Sahib’s current leadership positions include:
Profession: Serving as President/Chairman on the Council of The Actuarial Society of Kenya. Industry (insurance): Serving as Independent, Non-Executive Director (iNED) on the Boards of EdenCare Medical Insurance (Rwanda) and Star Discover Life Insurance (Kenya).
Community: Serving as Council member on the Council of Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Nairobi.
As a professional in the field of risk, Sahib believes that ensuring the sustainable, future success of the world at large is key. Thus, he eagerly involves himself in a wide variety of long-term risk management matters, across profession and society, in a pro-bono capacity.
For successfully completing an impactful national project in the critical area of Social Risk – Human rights & dignity (alleviating statelessness), he has been awarded – by the Government of the Republic of Kenya – with a Head of State’s commendation (HSC) honor, as one of its youngest recipients. Awarded to those who go above & beyond for the community or country, he counts as the first
member of the actuarial profession in Kenya to be decorated on a national scale.
David is the Managing Director of Milliman’s Africa businesses, operating out of South Africa. David has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. His previous positions included partner at KPMG and PwC. He holds practising certificates in life insurance, general insurance and micro-insurance. His client portfolio includes 6 of the top 10, and 15 of the top 30 insurers in Africa. He is a qualified actuary, a CFA Charterholder, a Professional Risk Manager, and a proud Fellow of The Actuarial Society of Kenya.
• Rebecca leads the Actuarial Solutions team for Deloitte East Africa.
• She is the appointed Actuary of one insurance company in East Africa
• She has experience in actuarial and policyholder liability reviews for two Tier 1 insurance companies in South Africa, SAM
Reviews, Gap Assessment and Implementation support for South African Insurers and strategy implementation for a tier I
insurance client in East Africa.
• She is the project manager for several IFRS 17 quality assurance projects for companies in East Africa.
• She has also conducted IFRS 17 training for several stakeholders in the East African insurance market.
• She has also led IFRS 9 implementations and risk based pricing projects for banking clients in East and Southern Africa.
Melusi is the Lead Actuary and Founder of Dial An Actuary. He is a senior qualified actuary with experience advising clients in Africa, Europe, and North America.
He has been in the actuarial industry since January 2011 and has experience in the life insurance, microinsurance, and the reinsurance industry. Melusi acts as an Appointed Actuary/Head of Actuarial Control Function (HAF) for various insurance companies in South Africa. Prior to establishing Dial An Actuary, Melusi worked as a consulting actuary, providing support to clients in various areas such as life insurance valuations under different regulatory regimes, pricing, license application procedures, and operational setup. Before that, he held the position of Chief Actuary at a prominent global reinsurance company, where he primarily focused on their operations in Africa.
Melusi is a senior member of the actuarial profession globally and in South Africa. He sits on the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA)’s highest decision-making body as a Council member. Melusi is also one of the leaders in the microinsurance space where he heads up the ASSA Microinsurance Practice Area Committee and engages regularly with the local regulators, the Prudential Authority (PA), and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
Bonolo is a Senior Actuarial Consultant at Dial An Actuary. She has over 7 years’ experience in the life insurance, reinsurance and microinsurance industry. This experience includes leading teams in reserving, pricing, product development, and risk management for clients of various sizes. She has also assisted clients with statutory compliance work, including the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA) work in Europe and Africa.
Bonolo’s valuations experience includes statutory valuations in South Africa, Europe and other parts of the world on a SAM, and IFRS and SII basis (EU). In addition to her first line actuarial work, she has performed second and third line work. This includes supporting the appointed actuary for various firms and performing actuarial audits as part of the broader external audit governance process.
Takalani is a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (“FASSA”) and has more than 12 years’ experience in the Financial Services sector. He is currently a Senior Manager within the Deloitte Actuarial and Insurance Solution (Deloitte AIS) team. He has advised clients in a number of countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Selected Relevant Experience:
Takalani has been involved in all aspects of life actuarial valuation and risk management, including managing teams, data validation and conversion, experience analysis, embedded value valuation, capital management, conducting ORSAs, drafting and cosigning valuation reports.
His expertise also covers the fields of IFRS17, SAM (Solvency II equivalent),Actuarial Modelling, Auditing, Actuarial Due Diligence and general management.
Takalani has assisted a medium sized insurer in South Africa with the transition to a risk based capital regime (SAM). His responsibilities included calculation of the statutory capital requirements, calibrating the risk appetite measure and completing the regulatory returns.
He has assisted a number of small to medium insurance companies with their IFRS 17 implementation projects. The work included conducting training, drafting roadmap, product classification, drafting and reviewing methodology and design decisions papers, project management and providing quality assurance on the work done internal by clients.
Takalani is an experienced user of actuarial modelling software (Prophet and Algo) and has modelled various products using Prophet from scratch. Takalani is also an experienced user of DCS,VBA, QlikView and SQL
Ashish has over 24 years of experience at the helm of insurance organisations, and as a CEO and senior Executive in Asia, Africa and UK he has managed turnarounds, market entries, mergers and acquisitions and driven disruptive change mandates successfully. An alumnus of Wharton Business School and Manchester University, as well a Fellow of GIBS (Centre for African Management and Markets) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK), Ashish is a versatile business leader, intuitive strategist, with a solid track record in shaping and driving organisations into their future selves. He is a regular speaker at Africa-wide industry events. He is an engaged Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) member, and serves on various Boards.
Michael Tichareva is a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (FASSA) and a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) who also holds a BCom (Hons.) degree in Actuarial Science and an MBA from Wits Business School, specialising in banking and finance related subjects. He attended some of his MBA electives at Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in North Carolina
Michael entered banking practice in 2008 having initially qualified as a pensions and employee benefits actuary in 2004, and practiced life assurance, pensions, and investments over the years until moving to banking in 2008.
He currently leads a team of banking actuarial professionals at Claxon Actuaries International in delivering banking consulting assignments that include IFRS 9 expected credit loss modelling, banking risk management, and other insurance related actuarial assignments.
Michael currently leads at a global level in developing banking practice for actuaries and continues to present at various international platforms on the involvement of actuaries in banking. He was awarded the 2023 Presidential Award by the Actuarial Society of South Africa for his role in banking practice development for actuaries.
Michael has been the Chairperson of the Banking Virtual Forum of the International Actuarial Association since 2016, and is a founding member of the ASSA Banking Committee that he chaired from 2010 to 2017.
Michael is also a member of Council of ASSA and sits on the Education Board. He is also currently involved in the development of actuarial education on the African continent on behalf of ASSA. He is the current course leader of the Investments Fellowship subject since 2008, and the Banking Fellowship subject since 2015 for the Actuarial Society of South Africa.
Name: Dr. Joab O. Odhiambo, Ph.D., FA
Academic Qualification(s): Post-Doc Researcher (2023)-Umeå University, Ph.D., Actuarial Science(2022)-(UoN), M.Sc., Actuarial Science (2016)-(UoN), B.Sc., Actuarial Science,(2013)-DeKUT
Professional Qualification: Certified Investment Financial Analyst (CIFA(k))-2018
Position(s): A Lecturer and Researcher of Actuarial Science.
Tittle of the Research Study to be Presented: Deep Learning Incorporated Bühlmann Credibility in the Modified Lee–Carter Mortality Model
In summary:
Dr. Joab O. Odhiambo is an Educationist, Lecturer, columnist, Author, Certified Investment and Financial Analyst and Actuarial Science Researcher. His Academic Qualification(s) are; Ph.D., Actuarial Science (2022)-(UoN), M.Sc., Actuarial Science (2016)-(UoN), B.Sc., Actuarial Science, (2013). In addition, he has a Professional Qualification as Certified Investment Financial Analyst (CIFA-k)-2018. He is passionately about Public Policy Analysis.
Kio Mwangasha is a qualified and seasoned actuary with over 8 years’ experience in actuarial consulting. She is currently a Principal Actuarial Executive with AIICO Insurance Plc where she is involved in IFRS 17 reporting, product development, capital management and overall business strategy support. She joined AIICO in August 2023. Prior to joining AIICO, Kio was a Resident Actuary with Zamara Actuaries Administrators and Consultants Limited where she took the role of, among others, technical Lead in IFRS 17 implementation projects and life insurance consulting team lead. Kio has extensive experience in actuarial consulting having serviced a diverse portfolio of both Life and Non-Life insurers across East, Central and West Africa.
Lusani Mulaudzi is a Healthcare Actuary, Independent non-executive director, and Lecturer. He is a trained Design thinking practitioner and is passionate about innovation.
He has worked as a CEO of a Healthcare Administrator and Managed Care Organization, worked as Healthcare Actuary of large Healthcare Administrator and Managed Care Organization and as an actuarial consultant for a large insurance company in South Africa. He is an independent non-executive director for a couple of private insurance companies and does public interest work for the Actuarial Society of South Africa. In 2020 he joined the University of Cape Town as a lecturer.
In addition to his professional work, Lusani has been involved in the leadership structures of several community development organizations. He was the President of the Actuarial Society of South Africa in 2020 – 2021.
Nick is a distinguished professional with a multifaceted career spanning the fields of actuarial science, quantitative analysis, and software engineering. Currently pursuing a Doctorate in Information Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), Nick academic journey exemplifies an unwavering commitment to intellectual rigor and excellence.
Nick holds two master’s degrees, one from the University of Toronto, Canada, and another in Financial Engineering from WorldQuant University. These academic achievements showcase a deep and diverse foundation of knowledge in mathematical finance and computer science.
As an esteemed lecturer at the University of Toronto, Nick shares expertise and insights with the next generation of professionals, shaping their understanding of complex quantitative principles. This role not only demonstrates Nick’s dedication to education but also showcases the ability to effectively communicate complex concepts. He is also a member of the Canada Institute of Actuaries.
In the realm of quantitative finance, Nick serves as a WorldQuant Consultant, where precision and mathematical acumen are paramount. Additionally, as a consultant at BlackRock, He specializes in financial engineering, contributing to the development of innovative financial products and strategies. As a software engineer Nick, applies machine learning and A.I in his profound expertise in the arena of data.
Nick multifaceted career also extends to the world of insurance. With a role as an Actuary at the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation, he utilizes mathematical modeling and risk analysis to guide the organization’s decisions, ensuring sound financial practices and stability.
Nick’s journey is characterized by a profound passion for quantitative analysis, financial engineering, software engineering and actuarial science. With a dedication to both academia and practical application, he continues to make a significant impact on the worlds of education, finance, and risk management.
Xander Fauré is a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries with more than 22 years’ experience particularly working in life insurance industry. Xander is the Director of Life Actuarial & Africa and heads the life actuarial practice at QED. Xander and his team specialize in valuation and embedded value calculations and reporting. They also conduct a fair number of other Life Assurance related projects such as market feasibility studies, product development & business plans, asset liability modelling and optimization, due diligence, license applications and mortality studies. Xander is a member of the Embedded Value Sub- Committee of the Actuarial Society of South Africa and he holds a Practicing Certificate in Life Insurance from the Actuarial Society of South Africa. He also acts as Head of Actuarial Function or Appointed Actuary to various insurers and is a fellow member of the Actuarial Society of Kenya.
Blessing Mbukude is a qualified actuary (FIA) with more than 12 years of experience in the insurance industry. His experience covers reserving, pricing, product development, underwriting, reinsurance and regulation. Blessing is currently a Regulatory Actuary at Namibia’s regulator for all non-banking financial institutions. Before joining NAMFISA, Blessing was actively involved in setting up the life and non-life insurance entities at EcoCash Holdings – Zimbabwe. He holds a B Com (Honours) degree in Actuarial Science and an MBA. Blessing is passionate about developing the actuarial profession, as such, he is a Contributor and Features Editor to The Actuary Magazine – UK. He is also the council member for the Actuarial Society of Zimbabwe responsible for the Thought Leadership Pillar.
Bryan Ware is a vice president at AmTrust Financial, in Cleveland Ohio, USA. He currently focuses on Workers’ Compensation pricing and predictive modeling. Bryan has held the roles of Chief Actuary for a mid-sized Workers’ Compensation company, Chief Pricing Actuary for a major reinsurer, and Chief Underwriter for an offshore alternative risk transfer reinsurer, among other roles over his career. He has worked in insurance, reinsurance, and consulting companies. He also has significant prior experience in enterprise risk management, reserving, corporate governance, underwriting, litigation support, and international business.
Bryan has been in the industry for over 37 years. He is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS), Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA), and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA). He is a graduate of Wichita State University, in Wichita KS, USA.
Bryan has been a member of the CAS Committee on Professionalism for 8 years. He is a frequent facilitator at the Course on Professionalism that is required of any new member of the CAS. In addition, Bryan is a frequent speaker for international actuarial professionalism courses.
Arpita Das is Founder & Director of Impact Actuarial, based in Dublin, Ireland, where she works with organizations worldwide to maximize the social impact of insurance. Prior to establishing Impact Actuarial, Arpita was Senior Actuary at Allianz Partners, serving as lead Life Actuary and Global Project Manager, and was CVP & Actuary at New York Life Insurance.
Arpita has been a long-time volunteer and leader within the actuarial profession and sustainable development space. She recently completed her term on the Board of Directors of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and currently serves on the International Actuarial Association Inclusive Insurance Forum and the Society of Actuaries Ireland Public Interest & Communications Committee.
Samuel Annan currently holds the position of VP, Economic Capital Modeling at PURE Insurance in the US. In this role, Samuel has been responsible for the creation of the capital modeling function and the implementation of PURE’s capital strategy. Before joining PURE Insurance, Samuel worked in similar roles at Liberty Mutual Insurance as a Director of Corporate Risk and Capital Analytics, and at Emergent Holdings as a Capital Management Actuary.
Samuel’s early career experience spans commercial insurance, personal lines underwriting, pensions and life insurance consulting. Work in these areas exposed him to the differences in insurance products and risk regulations in Ghana versus the US, as well as life Insurance versus general insurance.
Samuel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Ghana and a Master of Science degree in Statistics from the University of Iowa in the US. He is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and Associate of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Yvonne Palm is the Chief Risk Officer at African Reinsurance Corporation, where she oversees all group risk management and compliance activities. Prior to joining Africa Re, she served as the Lead Corporate Actuary at Travelers Syndicate Management in London, overseeing reserving, technical provisions, business planning and reporting of results to regulators and management. Yvonne also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Casualty Actuarial Society, the only global actuarial credentialing body that focuses exclusively on Property and Casualty (non-Life) insurance. She’s the first person based in Africa to have been elected to this Board by her global peers. Yvonne started her career at Ernst & Young in the USA, serving as the lead actuarial analyst for multinational clients including insurers, reinsurers, captives and entities that self-insure their exposure. She went on to hold senior actuarial positions at Markel International and ACE European Group in London before returning to the African continent. Her experience spans the United States, Europe and Latin America, as well as exposure to African, Middle Eastern and Australasian business. Since moving to Nigeria at the end of 2019, she has pivoted her career from being purely technical actuarial to including a focus on risk management, governance and compliance. Yvonne is a Fellow of both the Casualty Actuarial Society (USA) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grinnell College in the USA, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honours in both Mathematics and Economics.
Wangeci, the Head Marketing Actuary at Inclusivity Solutions, focuses on developing and promoting personalized insurance solutions that support inclusive insurance objectives. She is committed to protecting and enhancing the welfare of marginalized individuals.