IFRS 17 Actuarial Analyst at Allianz Global Life
- Where in the world do you work?
I work in Dublin, Ireland. My office is along the seafront and more often than not the view is great!
2. Prior to the pandemic, did you work primarily in an office or from home? What about now?
I worked from the office with an open plan layout. Now, due to pandemic it’s entirely work from home.
3. Do you travel for work? If so, how much? To where?
Very rarely, usually it’s either to attend conferences organized by the society of actuaries here in Dublin or CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) volunteering. Her company allows them to work certain hours volunteering for a charity that the company is supporting.
4. What type of company do you work for? (Ie. Traditional Insurance, Consulting Firm, Government, etc.) Name of company?
I work for a Life Insurance company that primarily sells variable annuity (VA) and unit-linked savings products across Europe.
5. What do you like about this work environment? What do you find challenging or what would you change?
What I like most about WFH is the time I save by not commuting to work. I can use that time to study in the morning, whilst still being able to go to the gym after work. I also find that it’s easier to save on costs through home-made lunches, coffees and making use of the tax benefits on working from home expenses (e.g. tax relief on costs such as Wi-Fi, electricity and heating bills)
The most challenging aspect of WFH is the isolation. Since everyone is dealing with the new normal in their own way, there is very little communication and social interaction outside of work with the teammates. I definitely miss the informal chats/coffee chats with work colleagues from different departments.
6. Culture of company/country – What type of vacation benefits do you get?
We get 22 days of paid leave during the year.
7. How flexible is your company about when/how you get work done?
There are no set rules and depends on how the team manager structures it. For example in my team we follow the Agile method and includes a 9:00am stand-up call every day.
8. Are there set “business hours” you’re expected to be working and available?
Yes, there is a minimum number of hours and certain time slots during the day when we are expected to be available.
9. Do you hang out with coworkers outside of work?
Not at the moment as there are restrictions around meeting people in general.
10. What types of company sponsored events have you attended or has your company hosted?
Mostly virtual for example online pub quiz, cocktail making classes and town hall events.
11. What aspects of working for your company and in your geographic location do you love?
There are not many Life Insurance companies in Europe that sell VA products, so I find the technical aspect of the work very interesting and intellectually stimulating. It’s also a relatively small company so I am able to learn and get a lot of exposure to different types of roles. For example, in the span of 4.5 years, I started in a reporting role with some exposure to guarantee pricing, moved on to supporting senior actuaries on planning dialogue, followed by my current role which is in a project team working on the IFRS 17 implementation and transformation.
Dublin is a great city to work in, people are friendly and very helpful! There are also a lot of fun things to do here, on a good sunny weekend one can hike up the Dublin mountains or ride a bike around Howth (which is a peninsula!). For a longer break, a road trip along the Wild Atlantic Way is a great way to experience the countryside of Ireland!
12. What would you change?
Nothing in particular for now, but as I progress with my profession I would like to work in different parts of the world.
13. If you could work anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
I would love to work in Toronto or London (UK). I think Canada has the best of both worlds in terms of great work opportunities for an actuary as well as potential for a good work life balance without compromising on career progression. London has its own charm, the city is vibrant and doesn’t feel like a concrete jungle – there is a lot of culture/history and art! I feel like living and working there would be a transformative experience.