2015 Bermuda:Re/insurance+ILS 31


and, no, I’m not saying that because I currently work there. Aside from being able to price reinsurance, which is something I really enjoy, working here has been an extraordinary learning experience. Because we are a small organisation, I have had the chance to see and appreciate what is involved in running a company, particularly one that is publicly traded. The exposure to more than just the actuarial side of the business and the opportunity to learn from colleagues with extensive and varied reinsurance experience has been invaluable.


What has been the biggest challenge you have encountered? Mandy Kisala


Job: Chief pricing actuary Company: Third Point Re Career path


2013—Chief pricing actuary, Third Point Re 2010—Vice president, actuarial, Tokio Millennium Re Bermuda


2006—Chief actuary, FFG Insurance Company (previously a subsidiary of Aon Corporation)


Mandy Kisala has 18 years of experience in reinsurance, insurance and consulting and currently serves as chief pricing actuary at Third Point Reinsurance Company. Prior to joining Third Point Re in December 2013, she was vice president, pricing and assistant vice president, reserving at Tokio Millennium Re Bermuda from 2010 to 2013.


Kisala served as chief actuary of FFG Insurance Company (previously a subsidiary of Aon Corporation) from 2006 to 2009 and has also held various actuarial roles at E&Y, Hannover Re and CNA Re. She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and holds a BSc in Mathematics from Purdue University and a Master’s in Environmental Policy from University of Denver.


Why did you choose to work in this industry initially?


I started my career in group disability at CNA Insurance in Chicago. As part of our new hire orientation, we heard speakers from the company’s various business segments. I remember being really impressed by the reinsurance team. They were quite passionate about the work they were doing and I found the opportunities to see a wide variety of lines of business and contract structures to be an exciting prospect. Two years later when a reserving position opened up at CNA Re, I applied and made the switch from life/health to P&C and from primary insurance to reinsurance and I haven’t looked back since.


What has been the highlight of your career so far? The highlight of my career has been working for Third Point Re


I found the sale of CNA Re to be very challenging. I had only ever worked for one company and I really enjoyed the work I was doing and the people I worked with, many of whom were my friends. The thought of leaving somewhere I was comfortable and trying to settle into a new and unknown culture was stressful and scary. In retrospect, though, being pushed out of my comfort zone was a good thing.


I have since worked with and learned from some amazing people,


lived in some exciting places and worked on really interesting projects. Who knows if I would have had any of those opportunities had I been able to maintain the status quo?


If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been?


As a child, I was always fascinated with animals, particularly the various ways they adapt to and survive in their environment. In university, my favourite non-actuarial courses focused on earth sciences: oceanography, geology and meteorology. Those interests coupled with the enjoyment I gain from teaching people, lead me to think that if I weren’t an actuary, I would enjoy a career educating people about animals and the planet. I think it would be a very fulfilling experience some day to produce and possibly even host a television show about animals. ■


“I have since worked with and learned from some amazing people, lived in some exciting places and worked on really interesting projects.”


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