The Frank Redington Prizes

I’m delighted to share that the IFoA has just launched the Frank Redington Prizes to encourage and promote thought leadership in the actuarial science. This open essay competition welcomes applicants from across the globe, both within and outside of the actuarial profession. Calls for submission will focus on two topics: 1) What would be a […]
Take a long sabbatical

Tip 41 Take a long sabbatical. You can do this in-between jobs. Take a second degree, which is very different from your first, if you can. One of my best career decisions was taking a 21-month sabbatical in 2001. I had worked in Prudential for twenty years. I was travelling a great deal, chasing numbers, […]
Sustainability Early Career Board

Sustainability Early Career Board Three things struck me in Nick Spencer’s posting The Sustainability Board’s tireless evangelising on sustainability issues and bringing them to our foreground and using social media imaginatively The high-quality thinking and research that underpin Sustainability Board’s work The innovation of introducing the Sustainability Early Career Board (SECB) to draw in younger actuaries across the world (closing date 7 November 2021). […]
Writing of 61 Tips for Young Actuaries – A reflection

I wrote ‘61 Tips for Young Actuaries’ in May 2020, on the weekend of my 61st birthday. I was inspired by a friend, Charles Wigley, the ex-chairman of BBH Asia, who wrote ‘100 things a Planner Should Know’ for advertising planners. As I read that, I thought it might be interesting if I compile a […]
Invest time in Quadrant 2 activities. Things that are important but not yet urgent.

Tip 24. Invest time in Quadrant 2 activities. Things that are important but not yet urgent. Read Steven R. Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. It is still one of the best books on effective personal development and leadership. We are often overwhelmed by a myriad of activities and tasks on a daily basis. […]
Important books from my early years

Many of you would have noticed that I often refer to books and quotations in my postings. This is because books have always been a source of joy and inspiration to me, as I was often alone as a young man in a rural town in Malaysia, free of the distractions one would find in […]
Speaking engagement at the British Academy “Future of the Corporation” Purpose Summit

Last month, I was delighted to speak at the British Academy’s “Future of the Corporation” Purpose Summit. I was asked to make remarks on how the professions can integrate Purposeful Business into qualifications and practice. Below is the full speech by Tan Suee Chieh at ‘Future of the Corporation Purpose’ Many thanks for inviting me […]
We have a choice on how we want to respond to others and external events. Read Victor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Only human beings can do this. Use this gift.

Tip 57 “We have a choice on how we want to respond to others and external events. Read Victor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Only human beings can do this. Use this gift.” I first learnt about Victor Frankl in Stephen Covey’s book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” in 1990. Victor Frankl was a […]
The Growth Mindset for Actuaries

I am looking forward to Dr. Helen Wright five bite-sized sessions in the next 7 weeks on developing and building a growth mindset. The Growth Mindset is a specific psychological term coined by Professor Carol Dweck and was identified early on in 2019 as part of the culture change necessary for the profession in the […]
The President’s Award – Patrick Poon

The President’s Award was presented to Patrick Poon on 24 June 2021 in recognition of his philanthropy, support, and vision for the IFoA and profession over four decades, and in particular for being the Chief Philanthropist of the IFoA Foundation’s China and South-East Asia Fund and the Chief Sponsor of the inaugural IFoA’s Thought Leadership […]