Rising stars
“Our world is evolving and reinsurers have to innovate to meet demands. I’m sure that this will present further opportunities.”
Name:
Shabnam Ahmed
Company: AXIS Specialty Job:
I am a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and have a bachelor’s Vice president, global reinsurance
Timeline: 2013: Vice president, global reinsurance, AXIS Re Bermuda
2009: Group actuary, PartnerRe
2007: Assistant vice president, actuary, Guy Carpenter
2004: Actuarial analyst, Tillinghast (now Towers Watson)
Describe your career so far and current role. In 2013, I joined AXIS Re Bermuda as a vice president in our property reinsurance team. The lines
dividing modelling and
underwriting have faded as we’ve moved into a more model-driven world. AXIS needed an actuary with both strong pricing skills and strong people skills to be a technical underwriter. My focus is on the property per-risk, pro-rata and structured risk
deals although I look at cat excess of loss and other lines too. I see a deal through every stage from client/broker engagements, to pricing and reviewing contract wording, to authorising the deal. I am the point person on the underwriting team for questions on technical pricing and portfolio risk metrics. Before AXIS, I was a group actuary at PartnerRe in Bermuda
for four years from 2009 to 2013. It was a varied corporate role supporting the group chief actuary. The move to Bermuda from London was a great opportunity to work in a new market. Prior to the move, from 2007 to 2009, I was an assistant vice
president (AVP) in Guy Carpenter’s modelling team in London, providing reinsurance pricing and analytics advice to key clients. This was my first chance to dive deep into reinsurance. My first job after I left university, in 2004, was as a consulting actuary at Tillinghast (now Towers Watson).
8 | INTELLIGENT INSURER | May 2015
degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in applied statistics from the University of Oxford.
Why did you choose the re/insurance industry? It was somewhat of a fluke. I was a highly numerate graduate looking for a secure career in a technical field. I started out at an actuarial consultancy in London but I didn’t know much about the re/insurance industry itself at the time. It has turned out to be a great match.
Do you think the industry is attractive to young professionals? I am fascinated by our industry and reinsurance in particular. It is closely tied with current affairs and major world events. However, in spite of this, I think that reinsurance is not that widely known. For those already in the industry, it remains attractive.
Do you think the re/insurance industry offers good opportunities and career development to young professionals? Without a doubt, there are opportunities and potential for career development. It depends on how you approach it. Be proactive to shape those opportunities, work hard consistently, take responsibility and the rewards do follow. The reinsurance industry is in a state of flux right now. Our world is evolving and reinsurers have to innovate to meet demands. I’m sure that this will present further opportunities.
What are your aspirations for the future? To be involved in a start-up, with like-minded people. To be a good person. To make the world a better place, even in a small way.
If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been? I remember giving consideration to management consulting when I was at university. I’m open to ideas and opportunities that are challenging, diverse and fun, with great people.
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