Experience

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  Various high schools

  Jan 1985 - Jan 1993

  Mathematics teacher
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  Towers perrin

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1995

  Actuarial analyst
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  Tyndall australia

  Jan 1995 - Jan 1995

  Project manager
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  Tyndall australia

  Jan 1996 - Jan 1998

  Superannuation systems manager
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  Tyndall australia limited

  Jan 1998 - Jan 1999

  Actuary – projects
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  Royal & sun alliance

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2002

  Manager, actuarial and management accounting services

   Leading the budgeting and cost allocation processes for Asteron (or Royal & SunAlliance Financial Services as it was then known) for 2 years. The process achieved on-time delivery and a very high level of engagement with all key stakeholders. Oracle Financials implementation – business unit representative providing input in defining structural and reporting requirements including automation of expense allocation process. Production of monthly management reports to senior management. Oversight of activity-based costing project with aim of enhancing the businesses understanding of client-level profitability. Built financial models to support trade sale of Australian Life Insurance, Wealth Management, Asset Management and Trustee Services businesses Show less

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  Asteron

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2006

  Actuary - wealth management

  Proactively identify profitability threats and opportunities and promote understanding of the determinants of profitabilityinitiativesOversight of the investment analysis function supporting the investment menu of platform productsPricing and profitability analysis of both administration and insurance components of wealth product range (both shop-front and negotiated)General provision of profitability advice in respect of the wealth business (including group life insurance) Show less

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  Ing australia

  May 2006 - Apr 2007

  Product manager (contract)

  I was initially contracted for 6 months to identify opportunities to simplify current and legacy Employer Superannuation products in the context of a planned system integration project. My contract was extended for a further 6 months to develop and specify Employer Super product development initiatives for 2007 and was the Product Department representative on the implementation committee. I also took on the role of liaising with the relevant actuarial departments within ING Australia in relation to these initiatives.Key achievements: I established financial and non-financial criteria which I then used as a framework to identify over 50 product simplification and rationalisation opportunities for a $9 billion book of Employer Superannuation business. This was completed in the context of a proposed IT system consolidation/migration. Personal on time delivery of all deliverables including Senior Executive Team approval of supporting business case for above-mentioned simplification and rationalisation initiatives.  I developed a robust and innovative pricing model for use by the product team when responding to requests for bespoke pricing of platform fees for a large corporate superannuation platform product. The model was very well received. It formed the basis for developing similar models for ING’s other employer superannuation platforms. Show less

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  Metlife

  Apr 2007 - Nov 2017

  MetLife Insurance Limited is the Australian subsidiary of MetLife Group which is one of the world’s largest life insurance companies. MetLife locally, at the time I worked for them, was primarily a group life insurance provider to Industry Superannuation Funds but was looking to launch a retail life insurance business. It was my role to advise the board of directors and senior management on product pricing, reserving, capital management, reinsurance strategy, investment strategy and the soundness of its risk management framework. I worked in the Finance Team reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, with the reserving and capital management actuarial staff reporting to me. While I retained overarching responsibility for the quality of all actuarial advice across the local business, the pricing team did not report to me directly. Risk management was a separate function under the Chief Risk Officer.These activities are all underpinned by extensive cash-flow modelling many years into the future. In such modelling it is always essential to ensure that bottom-up model forecasts can be explained by top-down economic analysis.Key achievement include:• Moving tender pricing to version-controlled and robust excel based pricing models to strengthen controls and ensure process integrity.• Australian actuarial lead for the valuation of various MetLife acquisition targets for consideration by the Global M&A team. • Enhancing board reporting. I developed a new suite of reports based on control charts to allow the "signal" to be distinguished from the "noise" for key expense lines.• Successfully advocating for a change in local reinsurance strategy to significantly improve capital effectiveness/competitiveness in the group insurance market. Show less Promoted to Chief Financial Officer while retaining the role of Chief Actuary. This included direct supervision of all Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Systems Accounting and Tax Accounting resources along with the Actuarial Valuations Team.Key achievement include:• Position MetLife to take advantage of the changed market dynamics following the sudden industry wide deterioration in Group Total and Permanent Disability claims experience in 2013. This saw MetLife grow strongly in 2013 – 2014 and win the business of HOSTPLUS with annual premium more than $250 million per annum. This also required, under my leadership, the development of new methods for analysing claims expenses for both pricing and reserving purposes.• Redefine MetLife’s capital management framework resulting in a $30m (10%) reduction in minimum required capital enhancing shareholder return on capital. Show less Key achievements: Actuarial lead for the development and pricing of an innovative new retirement income product. The optionality of the product required stochastic modelling techniques to be used. The modelling was based on 1000 different economic scenarios each going out for 50 years.  Overhaul of the Group Life pricing process to create full alignment with the global enterprise’s espoused risk appetite while, simultaneously, improving competitiveness of pricing. The initiatives implemented enabled price reductions of up to 4% and contributed to MetLife securing in excess of $50 million in new business in 2012. Re-engineering of valuation processes and procedures to enhance efficiency, minimise opportunities for error and significantly reduce key-person risk. This included the redesign of the processes, preparation of high level and detailed documentation and the introduction of reserve analytics to highlight results that warrant further investigation. This is evidenced by positive feedback from both internal and external auditors in respect of methodology and controls. Show less

  • Chief Actuary and Appointed Actuary

    Jul 2014 - Nov 2017

  • Chief Financial Officer and Chief Actuary

    Jun 2013 - Jul 2014

  • Actuarial Manager and then Chief Actuary

    Apr 2007 - May 2013
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  Self-employed

  Jan 2018 - Feb 2023

  Career break - coffee entrepreneur/election support/tax consultant

  Upon moving back to Perth from Sydney my wife and I purchased and ran The Coffee Club in Armadale for 4 years finally selling it in December 2021. Since then, I assisted the Australian Electoral Commission during the recent Federal Election initially as Officer in Charge of the Rockingham Central Pre-poll Voting Centre and later as a Team Supervisor during the subsequent vote counting. I have also recently completed a 2-month contract as a Tax Consultant with H&R Block. This all has rekindled a strong desire to now get back to the work I love – helping organisations better understand and manage their financial performance to meet their objectives.Key achievements:- at The Coffee Club built a strong customer service culture - awarded the national Customer Obsession Trophy in 2019- at H&R block in the top 10 1st year tax consultants by fees generated Show less

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  The university of notre dame australia

  Feb 2023 - now

  Senior finance analyst

  Reporting to and 2IC to the Manager – Commercial Finance, I have responsibility for the development of simple and complex financial models and interpreting and analysing data to provide support to the decision making process of key stakeholders of the University.The role includes providing Financial Due Diligence and viability assessments for various commercial proposals including reviewing of contracts and providing pricing advice.