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IFoA Asia Conference 2025

Please note

Timings are MYT/GMT+8.
We look forward to welcoming you to the 10th IFoA Asia Conference 2025.

Thu 25 Sept 2025, 08:15 -
Fri 26 Sept 2025, 22:15 (MYT)

Join us for the 10th IFoA Asia Conference 2025 – a landmark year for our premier regional gathering of actuarial professionals. This year’s conference will bring together a prestigious line-up of international and regional experts to explore the evolving role of actuaries under the theme ‘reshaping risk: the actuarial role in a changing world.’

The two-day in-person programme in Kuala Lumpur offers an engaging mix of keynote plenaries, panel discussions, technical workshops, and professional skills sessions. Standout highlights are a dedicated women’s networking breakfast, our inspiring Student Showcase, and an unmissable conference dinner to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Whether you’re a C-suite leader, mid-career actuary, or aspiring professional, this is your opportunity to learn from thought leaders, gain CPD, and network with peers from across Asia and beyond.
Here’s what past attendees had to say:

“A great event with lots of food for thought and a rare chance to open your mind to what’s shaping the wider industry.”

“A well-organised event with a breadth of topics to interest both senior and junior actuaries from different disciplines.”

In-person tickets include full access to all conference sessions, networking receptions, coffee and lunch across both days, and access to the conference app. A selection of sessions will also be live-streamed via our online conference option – more details coming soon.

We look forward to welcoming you to Kuala Lumpur this September as we mark 10 years of connection, insight and impact in Asia’s actuarial community.

 

 

Featured speakers

Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah is a distinguished Senior Consultant Surgeon in Breast and Endocrine Surgery with over 30 years of experience in the medical field. He served as the Director General of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, from March 2013 to April 2023. 

Prior to that, he was the Deputy Director General of Health (Medical) from January 2008 to February 2013. Dr Hisham is widely recognized for his expertise in managing breast and endocrine cancers and has numerous published papers and textbook chapters on breast and endocrine surgery. 

He completed his Master of Surgery and Medical Degrees from the National University of Malaysia (UKM). In addition, he underwent rigorous training in breast and endocrine surgery under the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Fellowship training program.

Over the years, he has become a prominent figure in global health, with vast experience in the World Health Organization (WHO) and as a Board Member of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). 

He completed his 2017-2021 term as a Councillor-at-Large on the Executive Board of the International Society of Surgery (ISS) and Chair of the Global Surgery Committee of ISS. He also completed his 3-year term last year as the Chair of the WHO Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (SCHEPPR). He is currently the Chairman of the Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons. 

Dr Hisham has received numerous accolades for his exceptional contributions to healthcare. Most notably, he was awarded the prestigious Fellowship Ad Hominem of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Dr Hisham is passionate about promoting universal healthcare coverage to marginalized communities and bringing personalized healthcare back to the community through patient-centered care and creative innovation.

Madelena Mohamed is an Assistant Governor at Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). As Assistant Governor, Madelena oversees the strategy and sustainability sector, which includes governor’s office, legal, strategic communications and sustainability functions.

She has more than 30 years of experience in a broad range of financial stability issues. These include strategic, microprudential and macrofinancial policy formulations as well as crisis management policies for the Malaysian financial system. She heads capacity building and training efforts of the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).

Madelena holds a degree in economics, majoring in accounting and finance, from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder.

Pang specialises in healthcare and property and casualty insurance. He has around 30 years’ experience in healthcare. He has completed assignments for the Hong Kong and Singapore governments, leading insurance companies, health plans, hospitals, physician groups, and pharmaceutical companies in Asia, the US, and South Africa.

Debashish is a qualified actuary and joined as a senior manager at Aviva in 2024 working in capital modelling, having worked in a number of consultancies for several years. He is active in volunteer research publishing blogs, newsletters and research papers on climate change, sustainability and data science-related topics.

Christine Fairall is a Senior Consultant at Milliman.

Christine qualified as a healthcare actuary in 2009, with more than 20 years of insurance sector experience. Christine’s expertise includes healthcare insurance actuarial reporting (Solvency II and IFRS 17), reserving and technical provisions, solvency/regulatory and economic capital modelling, pricing and underwriting, actuarial policies, insurance risk management and M&A due diligence.

Prior to Milliman, Christine held various roles at Bupa (2013 – 2024), most recently as the Group Corporate Actuarial and Actuarial Transformation Director responsible for actuarial function reporting, implementation of IFRS 17 and actuarial modelling tools.

Prior to Bupa, Christine was at WTW and KPMG where she led several advisory, pensions and healthcare schemes projects.

Ian is a qualified actuary and senior manager at Deloitte with over 13 years of experience across general insurance, financial reporting, and strategic risk management in Australia and South Africa.

He has worked extensively with insurers on regulatory compliance, capital modelling and is now focused on integrating climate risk into actuarial and financial frameworks.

Ian specialises in statutory reporting, IFRS 17, financial modelling, sustainability disclosures, and helping insurers prepare for IFRS S2 and AASB S2 requirements. He combines deep actuarial expertise with strong data and automation capabilities, ensuring robust and decision-useful outcomes. 

Madhav is a consultant in the P&C insurance practice of Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting, specialising in developing software and generative AI solutions designed to improve insurance processes.

He has over 4 years of experience providing Property and Casualty (P&C) actuarial services, including reinsurance pricing, rate indications, reserving, automation, and predictive modeling.

Madhav is based in India.

Yee Yung is a Director in the Life Insurance practice of Deloitte Actuarial based in Hong Kong. She joined the firm in 2017 and has over 15 years of experience in both consulting and industry, where her experience ranges from finance and actuarial transformation, AI and gen AI, IFRS 17, Solvency II and Economic Capital.

She is also a member of the AI task force for International Actuarial Association.

She has experience in both UK and Asia markets (with focus on HK), where she has served both multinational insurers and local insurers in these markets.

Schedule

Activity Time Details
Registration 08:15 - 08:45
Chair's welcome (hybrid) 08:45 - 09:00
Keynote session (hybrid) 09:00 - 09:25 Madelena Mohamed, Assistant Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia Read more

Keynote address by Madelena Mohamed, Assistant Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia

Keynote session (hybrid): Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah 09:30 - 10:00 Transforming healthcare in Malaysia: lessons from the pandemic, pathways for reform Read more

Transforming healthcare in Malaysia: lessons from the pandemic, pathways for reform

Keynote address by Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah

Town Hall 10:05 - 10:50 Town Hall
Morning refreshments 10:55 - 11:30
Session 1: panel discussion (hybrid) 11:30 - 12:30 Tackling the climate change challenge: where we stand, what it means for actuaries and can AI help? Read more

Tackling the climate change challenge: where we stand, what it means for actuaries and can AI help?

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, impacting all aspects of life for individuals across the world and future generations.

This session will be broken down into 2 parts and be a combination of presentations and open discussion.

Attendees will gain insights into: 

  • climate change challenges and opportunities globally and in Malaysia
  • current limitations and direction of travel with capital modelling of climate risk
  • AI’s role in helping to tackling climate change challenges including developing climate models
  • where and how actuaries should be involved to successfully navigate the requirements of IFRS S2. 

Part 1 

Here we will give a summary of climate change challenges faced globally and in Malaysia, how different industries and insurers are being impacted, and the roles companies and individuals can play. 

We will discuss where we stand as an industry in terms of quantifying the capital risk in relation to climate change and propose adjustments to the current capital model.

We will then finish with how AI can be used to help address climate change challenges, including current AI-driven climate models.

Part 2

Here we will take a deeper dive into IFRS S2 requirements. We’ll highlight and discuss key areas where actuaries are impacted by the disclosure requirements. We will leverage this to set out a high-level framework for scenario testing to integrate climate risks and opportunities into actuarial functions. 


Speakers: 

  • Debashish Dey, Aviva
  • Ian Du Plessis, Deloitte
  • James Yap, Deloitte
Lunch 12:35 - 13:50
Lunchtime session 13:00 - 13:45 Global health and medical inflation Read more

Lunchtime session: Global health trends and medical inflation – are we facing the perfect storm?

Many countries face significant challenges as demographics shift, with escalating demand in ageing populations and rising prevalence of complex health needs. These put significant pressures on healthcare systems around the world, which are already struggling with healthcare staff shortages, burnout and rising healthcare costs.

This presentation will look at health trends around the globe, sharing insights on factors driving such trends. It will include trends impacting medical inflation and insights from the regional medical survey on health business practices in Asia. 

Speaker: Christine Fairall, Milliman 

Workshop A1 13:50 - 14:35 Navigating IFRS 17 complexities: insights from multi-jurisdictional implementations Read more

Navigating IFRS 17 complexities: insights from multi-jurisdictional implementations 

This session is designed for actuaries, finance professionals, and implementation leads with intermediate to advanced knowledge of IFRS 17. It offers a practical exploration of persistent challenges in implementing IFRS 17, drawn from cross-border experiences in Asia-Pacific. The session will distill key lessons from actual engagements, covering technical complexities such as coverage units, risk adjustment calibration, reinsurance mismatches and PAA eligibility. 

Attendees will gain: 

  • Strategic insights into managing post-implementation pain points 
  • Real-world solutions to bridge actuarial-financial misalignments 
  • Tools to anticipate regulatory expectations and audit scrutiny 

The session builds upon working party experiences and implementation advisory across Asia-Pacific, including engagements with regulators and industry associations.  

Speakers: Harun Kannan Rajagopal and Toh Yi Jean, EY

Workshop A2 13:50 - 14:35 Legends of Takaful podcast series: reflections and the unfinished journey Read more

Legends of Takaful podcast series: reflections and the unfinished journey 

Over the past year, the Legends of Takaful podcast series captured the voices of pioneering leaders who shaped the Takaful industry from its earliest days. Their stories reveal defining moments, hard-earned lessons, and the original spirit of purpose that drove the movement. 
 
This session distills key insights from those interviews – not just as a tribute, but as a challenge. While the industry has made significant strides in regulation, scale, and technical advancement, the journey remains unfinished. 

Are we still aligned with the values that founded Takaful? 
Where have we strayed, and where must we return? 
 
The session will provide a reflection on leadership, legacy, and what today’s generation must carry forward to ensure Takaful remains true to its mission of risk pooling and mutual protection. 

Speakers: Hassan Scott Odierno 

Workshop A3 13:50 - 14:35 Resilient leadership in remote and multi-market teams: lessons from a hybrid digital analytics career Read more

Resilient leadership in remote and multi-market teams: lessons from a hybrid digital analytics career

Rishika Gupta has worked across India, Indonesia and Singapore, often leading teams remotely and handling clients from different cultures and time zones. She has seen firsthand how much leadership today depends on adaptability and empathy, not just titles or tools. This paper is a reflection of those experiences, especially the lessons learned while managing digital analytics projects and campaigns in a hybrid setup. 

From working with government clients in Southeast Asia to global FMCG brands, Rishika has navigated everything from language barriers to sudden market shifts, team silos, and tight turnarounds. The goal of this session is to share what worked (and what did not) when it came to building trust, keeping teams motivated, and delivering results. Even when they weren’t in the same room or even the same country. 

It’s not a textbook on leadership; it’s a practical guide for anyone trying to lead with resilience in a remote, fast-changing environment. Whether you are in data, marketing, or tech, these insights can help you grow as a leader while staying grounded, collaborative, and human, no matter where your team is. 

Speaker: Rishika Gupta

Workshop A4 13:50 - 14:35 Building reliable conversational AI with RAG and tool calling: practical lessons from UK Pension Bot Read more

Building reliable conversational AI with RAG and tool calling: practical lessons from UK Pension Bot

LLMs are powerful. But building a reliable, domain-specific AI assistant that people actually trust and use requires solving real engineering problems. 

This session will share practical lessons from developing : a live, LLM-powered assistant. It helps both pension savers and professionals (including actuaries and scheme administrators) navigate complex pensions content using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and dynamic tool calling. 

This system goes far beyond general-purpose chat. It integrates scheme rules, government regulations, administrator guides and actuarial calculations to deliver accurate, contextual responses in a conversational format. 

With live demos, we will explore key challenges and optimisation techniques across the RAG pipeline and beyond: 

  • Document pre-processing 
  • Chunking and embeddings that balance context with precision 
  • Retrieval tuning to improve answer quality and relevance 
  • Tool calling for actuarial calculations and real-time data access (APIs, databases) 
  • Mitigating hallucinations and managing token limits 

The examples are drawn from pensions. But the architecture and techniques are readily transferable to insurance and other domains where internal teams and customers need AI systems they can rely on. 

If you’re building AI tools to support technical communication, modelling or operational enablement, this session offers a grounded, implementation-led perspective. 

Speakers: ChengVoon Tong, Independent AI Developer, ex-KPMG UK (Pensions – Actuarial) 

Transfer time 14:35 - 14:45
Workshop B1 14:45 - 15:30 Medical advances, meet analytics: synergising pricing and underwriting Read more

Medical advances, meet analytics: synergising pricing and underwriting 

Life actuaries face dual challenges: making accurate, data-driven pricing and underwriting decisions while staying ahead of medical and demographic shifts that reshape mortality and morbidity risks. 

Advancements in medical science – ranging from earlier disease detection to transformative treatments – are altering life expectancy and disease progression in ways that directly affect how we assess and price risk. At the same time, evolving customer behaviours and underwriting practices are creating new opportunities to refine selection and improve outcomes before changes are visible in experience data. 

These trends raise important actuarial questions: 

  • Will we continue to experience mortality improvements?
  • How is technology reshaping life expectancy?
  • What are the impacts of global emerging trends, and how do they affect risk pools?
  • What is the actuarial value of understanding these trends early? 
     

In this session, we’ll explore the powerful synergies between pricing and underwriting analytics, and medical insight. Our focus will be on anticipating risk costs for shifts in underwriting and selection before they materialise in experience data by presenting real-world examples to illustrate these points:

  1. Revolutionising Risk Costing through Application Form Changes – We’ll examine how adjustments in application forms can lead to significant shifts in risk costing and selection processes, ultimately transforming the landscape of underwriting.  
  2. Predictive Models: Enhancing Underwriting Accuracy and Pricing Strategies – We’ll dive into the role of advanced predictive models and how they provide insights that improve the precision of underwriting and the efficacy of pricing strategies.  
     

By uniting developments in medical science with actuarial innovation, attendees will gain practical tools and insights for navigating tomorrow’s risk environment. Aimed at actuaries working in product development, pricing, or risk, this session provides a strategic overview with practical takeaways.

It will help equip actuaries with the insight needed to anticipate and respond to a world where life, data, and disruption intersect. 

Speakers: Ting Dai and Shilpa Mangla, Pacific Life Re

Workshop B2 14:45 - 15:30 Navigating geopolitical risk: strategic resilience for financial institutions in an unstable world Read more

Navigating geopolitical risk: strategic resilience for financial institutions in an unstable world 

In an era marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, financial institutions across Asia and beyond face unprecedented challenges. From trade wars and regional conflicts to cyber threats and regulatory fragmentation, the landscape of geopolitical risk is reshaping the way banks and insurers operate, invest, and manage risk. 

This session will explore the evolving nature of geopolitical risk and its implications for financial stability, capital adequacy, underwriting, and operational resilience. Drawing on recent case studies and global risk intelligence, we will explore how institutions can integrate geopolitical scenarios into their risk frameworks, including internal capital adequacy assessment process (ICAAP) and own risk and solvency analysis (ORSA), and enhance their strategic agility. 

Key themes include: 

  • Impact of global conflicts and trade disruptions on credit and market risk
  • Cybersecurity as a geopolitical threat: implications for operational risk 
  • Operational resilience and the risk flux framework 
  • Insurance underwriting and reinsurance pricing in high-risk regions 
  • Scenario planning and stress testing for geopolitical shocks for insurers

Attendees will gain actionable insights into building resilience through enhanced governance, operational resilience and the risk flux framework, risk modelling, and stakeholder communication. 

This session is essential for actuaries, risk managers, and financial leaders seeking to future-proof their institutions in an increasingly volatile world.

Speakers: Lawrence Habahbeh, HedgeGenomics and Xiaoping Wang, Royal London

Workshop B3 14:45 - 15:30 From GLM to GBM: evolving predictive modelling in the insurance world Read more

From GLM to GBM: evolving predictive modelling in the insurance world

In today’s data-rich environment, insurance professionals are faced with increasingly complex datasets that demand smarter, more adaptive analytical tools. Traditional actuarial techniques, such as generalised linear models (GLMs), have served the industry well for decades, offering a structured way to model claim frequency and severity. But as the volume and variety of data continue to grow, there is a rising need to explore more powerful approaches that can capture non-linear relationships and hidden interactions within the data.

This session introduces ‘gradient boosting machines’ (GBMs) as a logical next step for actuaries and analysts looking to enhance their modelling toolkit. It is designed specifically for a beginner audience with little to no prior experience in machine learning.

The session starts with a simplified explanation of GLMs: their core principles, advantages, and known limitations. We then transition into an intuitive, visual walkthrough of GBMs. This will demonstrate how they iteratively build a series of small decision trees, learn from their own prediction errors, and progressively improve model performance.

The session focuses on building conceptual clarity rather than diving into code. Through illustrative charts and real-world insurance case studies, participants will see how GBMs can outperform traditional models by identifying complex patterns that GLMs may miss.

By the end of this session, attendees will gain a clear understanding of how GBMs work, when they might be more appropriate than GLMs, and how to start exploring them in their own actuarial or analytical work.

Speaker: Husain Feroz Ali, DD Consulting

Workshop B4 14:45 - 15:30 Climate change impact on mortality in Malaysia Read more

Climate change impact on mortality in Malaysia

Climate change is emerging as a critical factor influencing global health, with both direct and indirect effects on mortality. This presentation examines a holistic approach to assessing the impact of climate change on mortality, integrating both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. We will review key methodologies, including statistical modelling to quantify temperature-mortality relationships, as well as qualitative analyses from literature review. 

Speakers: Sze Won Tan and Nadiah Zabri, Actuarial Society of Malaysia 

Afternoon refreshments 15:30 - 16:00
Session 2: panel discussion (hybrid) 16:00 - 17:00 Pricing out the less fortunate? Rethinking risk pooling through Ta’awun Read more

Pricing out the less fortunate? Rethinking risk pooling through Ta’awun

As actuarial pricing becomes more granular, affordability has emerged as a critical concern –  especially for the less fortunate. This session explores how the traditional pooling mechanism is being challenged, and how the concept of Ta’awun (mutual assistance) in Takaful can offer a solution.

The session will begin with a short presentation on current issues and industry responses to Ta’awuni pricing, including regulatory considerations under RBC 2 and IFRS 17.

A panel discussion will follow and examine how the Takaful industry can strike a balance between technical fairness and social solidarity.

Speakers: 

  • Wan Saifulrizal Wan Ismail, CEO Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad
  • Kamaludin Ahmad, Group CEO Etiqa Insurance and Takaful
  • Professor Dr Engku Rabiah Adawiyah binti Engku Ali, Deputy Chairman of Shariah Advisory Councils at BNM
  • Nur Amin Nurazmi, Head of General Operations at Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Am Berhad (STMAB)
Drinks reception 17:10 - 19:30
Activity Time Details
Women's networking breakfast 08:30 - 09:30
Registration 09:00 - 09:30
Plenary 1 09:30 - 10:30 Regime change in Asia: a tour through the evolving regulatory capital landscape for non-life insurers Read more

Regime change in Asia: a tour through the evolving regulatory capital landscape for non-life insurers

Recent years have seen significant changes in the solvency regulation and financial reporting landscape across Asia. There has been a shift towards risk-based solvency assessment and economic value-based assessment both for solvency and financial reporting.  And this process is ongoing, with Bank Negara Malaysia – the regulator for the conference’s host nation – recently publishing its exposure draft for RBC 2, for example. 

Based on engagement with some of the industry players and regulators in the key markets where changes have taken place, the paper will present an overview of these changes. It will focus on the implications for underwriting, finance, and risk management (rather than operational or technical considerations) – and how actuaries can help to manage the transition. 

Speakers: Edward Plowman and Tony Tan, Guy Carpenter

Transfer time 10:35 - 10:45
Workshop C1 10:45 - 11:30 RBC 2 Exposure Draft: key updates from the ASM RBC Focus Group – Takaful perspective Read more

RBC 2 Exposure Draft: key updates from the ASM RBC Focus Group – Takaful perspective

The long-awaited RBC 2 Exposure Draft introduces significant changes to capital adequacy requirements for insurers and Takaful operators. This session presents key highlights and discussion points from the Actuarial Society of Malaysia’s (ASM) RBC Focus Group, with a specific focus on the implications for Takaful. 

We will cover: 

  • Major updates and structural changes in the exposure draft 
  • Takaful-specific considerations, challenges, and areas requiring further clarity 
  • Feedback provided by the ASM Focus Group to Bank Negara Malaysia 
  • Practical insights for actuaries and operators preparing for implementation 

This session aims to provide an informed and balanced view of what RBC 2 means for the future of capital management in Takaful. 

Speakers: Farzana Ismail, Milliman and Nazrul Hazim, Malaysian Re 

Workshop C2 10:45 - 11:30 The casualty landscape in Asia: measuring and managing the risk Read more

The casualty landscape in Asia: measuring and managing the risk 

The paper will give an overview of casualty insurance (including motor liability) in each of the main Asian markets: the products, characteristics, main risks, and performance metrics.  

Asian insurers and their clients, particularly exporters, can be exposed to large risks in the US and other litigious jurisdictions.  The paper will cover some examples of this and some of the drivers of loss trends in these markets, such as social inflation, litigation funds and reserving issues. 

The paper will also look at the evolving science of catastrophe risk analysis in casualty, identifying the potential for clash, systemic and latent risk. And it will explore some of the emerging concerns around climate change, electric vehicles and autonomous driving that may affect casualty and motor liability risk. 

Finally, the paper will examine the available risk transfer and mitigation solutions for these risks. 

Speakers: Bryan Shen and Edward Plowman, Guy Carpenter 

Workshop C3 10:45 - 11:30 Optimising actuarial processes with cloud computing: with real-world case studies Read more

Optimising actuarial processes with cloud computing: with real-world case studies

In today’s fast-evolving financial landscape, actuarial teams are under increasing pressure to deliver faster, more accurate insights while managing growing volumes of data and adhering to strict regulatory standards. Traditional on-premises systems, while once sufficient, often struggle to scale with these modern demands. Cloud computing presents a transformative opportunity to modernise actuarial operations, enabling scalability, automation, enhanced collaboration, and real-time data processing. 

This session explores how cloud technology can be effectively leveraged to optimise actuarial processes, enhance productivity, and reduce costs. By migrating key actuarial workflows to cloud platforms such as Milliman Mind, organisations can significantly reduce run times for complex models, improve version control, and streamline actuarial processes. 

The presenters (which may also include existing Milliman Mind clients) will discuss:  

  • How cloud computing aligns with the strategic goals of actuarial departments, including speed, scalability, and innovation. 
  • Understanding pain points in traditional actuarial workflows such as long model run times, manual processes, and versioning issues, and how cloud-enabled solutions such as Milliman Mind can help. 
  • Review real-world case studies where insurers and Takaful operators have successfully transitioned to cloud-based actuarial processes, demonstrating measurable improvements in efficiency and collaboration. 
  • How adopting cloud platforms can prepare actuarial teams for future technological advances, including integration with AI/machine learning tools. 

Speakers: Mohamad Muzakkir Abdul Ghafar, Milliman 

Workshop C4 10:45 - 11:30 Hush hush: keeping neural network claims modelling private, secret, and distributed using federated learning Read more

Hush hush: keeping neural network claims modelling private, secret, and distributed using federated learning

The IFoA’s Federated Learning Working Party will present a novel way for insurance companies to build machine learning and AI models together, without sharing any customer data.  

This sessional will walk through the working party’s recently highly commended paper for the 2024 Brian Hey prize. The meeting will show how it has applied Google’s federated learning algorithm (2016) for text prediction on smart phones to insurance modelling.  

This concept enables the direct training of machine learning models on users’ devices, such as smartphones. It eliminates the need to share or transfer potentially sensitive data to a centralised server.   

Unlike traditional machine learning methodologies, federated learning adopts a model where the algorithm is brought to the data, rather than transferring the data to the algorithm. It will be hugely important as AI becomes more commonplace.  

In our paper and sessional we show how insurance companies can collaboratively develop a neural network model to predict claims frequency specifically. We achieve this using the Flower package in Python along with PyTorch. We show that if companies cannot share customer data, they can achieve near double their model predictive performance by using federated learning while keeping their customer data secure.   

The working party is part of the IFoA Data Science and AI practice area. 

Speakers: Harry Loh, EY 

Morning refreshments 11:30 - 12:00
Session 3: panel discussion (hybrid) 12:00 - 13:00 The development of risk-based pricing and ensuring fair premiums Read more

With greater access to data, insurers are able to incorporate broader risk factors, such as lifestyle, to predict the mortality and morbidity of individuals. And with more computing power and AI, more advanced techniques can be used. However, this raises questions of fairness and equity to the customer and potential regulations around what risks factors should be allowed.

The panellists will be exploring the development of risk-based pricing and the issue of fairness (particularly from a UK perspective) during this session.

Speakers: Christine Fairall and Pang Hsiang Chye, Milliman, and Wooi Chen Khoo, UCSI University

Student showcase: panel discussion 12:00 - 13:00 Actuarial leadership unplugged: breaking in, standing out, and shaping the future Read more

Actuarial leadership unplugged: breaking in, standing out, and shaping the future

This interactive panel brings together three distinguished actuarial leaders from diverse backgrounds to share candid insights, real-world stories, and practical advice for students aspiring to build impactful careers in actuarial science and beyond. The session will focus on the realities of entering the profession, strategies to distinguish oneself, and the evolving role of actuaries in shaping the future.

To further empower our students, we are also engaging two IFoA Student Ambassadors to serve as moderators for the session – an approach that reflects the purpose and spirit of this segment. This initiative underscores the IFoA’s ongoing commitment to nurturing and empowering the next generation of actuarial talent, reinforcing its pivotal role in shaping the future of the profession.

Speakers: (Moderator) Sharveshini S., President – IFoA Student Ambassador, Paul Sweeting, President – IFoA, Daniel Lee, Partner – EY, Nurliana Mat Lazim, Chief Risk Officer – MCIS Life

Employer showcase: Zurich Malaysia 13:00 - 13:30 Employer showcase: Zurich Malaysia Read more

Employer showcase: Zurich Malaysia

Join the employer showcase featuring Zurich Malaysia, where students will gain first-hand insights into the company’s culture, career pathways, and opportunities for young actuarial talent. This session highlights how Zurich nurtures future professionals, offering a closer look at the skills, values, and mindset the organisation seeks in its graduates and interns.

An engaging platform for students to connect with industry, this showcase aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of actuaries for impactful careers in insurance and beyond.

Speakers: Yuen Leng Chin, CFO – Zurich Malaysia, Wayne Chin, Appointed & Chief Actuary – Zurich Malaysia

Employer showcase: Prudential 13:30 - 14:00 Employer showcase: Prudential Read more

Employer showcase: Prudential

Join the employer showcase featuring Prudential Services Asia, where students will gain first-hand insights into the company’s culture, career pathways, and opportunities for young actuarial talent. This session highlights how Prudential Services Asia nurtures future professionals, offering a closer look at the skills, values, and mindset the organisation seeks in its graduates and interns.

An engaging platform for students to connect with industry, this showcase aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of actuaries for impactful careers in insurance and beyond.

Speaker: Junaid Iqbal, Director (Actuarial) Group wide Internal Audit – Prudential Services Asia. 

Employer showcase: Allianz Malaysia 14:00 - 14:30 Employer showcase: Allianz Malaysia Read more

Employer showcase: Allianz Malaysia

Join the employer showcase featuring Allianz Malaysia, where students will gain first-hand insights into the company’s culture, career pathways, and opportunities for young actuarial talent. This session highlights how Zurich nurtures future professionals, offering a closer look at the skills, values, and mindset the organisation seeks in its graduates and interns.

An engaging platform for students to connect with industry, this showcase aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of actuaries for impactful careers in insurance and beyond.

Speakers: Xiao Wei Chin, CFO – Allianz Malaysia, Shin Yi Lip, CRO – Allianz Malaysia

Employer showcase: Malaysian Life Reinsurance 14:30 - 15:00 Employer showcase: Malaysian Life Reinsurance Read more

Employer showcase: Malaysian Life Reinsurance

Join the employer showcase featuring Malaysian Life Reinsurance (MLRe), where students will gain first-hand insights into the company’s culture, career pathways, and opportunities for young actuarial talent. This session highlights how Zurich nurtures future professionals, offering a closer look at the skills, values, and mindset the organisation seeks in its graduates and interns.

An engaging platform for students to connect with industry, this showcase aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of actuaries for impactful careers in insurance and beyond.

Speakers:  Liew Min Liang, CFO MLRe

Lunch 13:10 - 14:30
Professional skills (hybrid) 14:30 - 15:30 Public interest and the actuarial voice: are we doing enough? Read more

Public interest and the actuarial voice: are we doing enough?

What does it truly mean for actuaries to act in the public interest – and are we doing enough?

This thought-provoking session will:

  • challenge participants to reflect on the profession’s ethical responsibilities
  • explore areas where actuaries may have fallen short
  • reimagine how the actuarial voice can have greater impact in today’s fast-changing world.

Moderated by Patrick Cheah, the discussion will feature opening reflections from IFoA President Paul Sweeting and industry leader Aiza Benyamin. This will be followed by a candid exchange on real-world dilemmas, missed opportunities, and the tensions between commercial demands and societal duty.
 
Speakers:

  • (Moderator) Patrick Cheah, CEO, MLRe
  • Paul Sweeting, IFoA President
  • Aiza Benyamin, Senior Partner, Actuarial Partners Consulting
Session 4: panel discussion (hybrid) 15:35 - 16:35 Generative AI for actuaries: tools, use cases, lessons from the field Read more

Generative AI for actuaries: tools, use cases, lessons from the field

Generative AI has quickly moved from research labs to everyday workflows – and the actuarial profession is beginning to feel its impact. This session offers a practical lens, grounded in real-world experience from insurance and actuarial teams.

We will take a step back to reflect on how GenAI has evolved over the past decade and why it has become such a powerful tool in recent years. From there, the focus will shift to the opportunities GenAI is opening up for actuaries today – from coding assistants to smarter document parsing that streamlines workflows and enhance day-to-day efficiency, particularly in the claims lifecycle, where it can power advanced claims analytics to faster, more accurate triaging and better decision-making.

We’ll explore how Generative AI is being applied across the entire insurance value chain, with a spotlight on reimagining complex processes that matter deeply to actuaries—such as reporting. Following that, we’ll delve into the key considerations for scaling GenAI across the enterprise and discuss how the actuarial profession can proactively prepare for the changes ahead.

Whether you’re curious about where to start with GenAI or looking for inspiration on how to bring it into your own work, this session is designed to spark ideas and provide practical insights.

The session will be a combination of presentations and panel discussion.

Speakers: Madhav Samariya, Oliver Wyman and Yee Yung, Deloitte

Afternoon refreshments 16:40 - 17:10
Plenary 2 17:10 - 18:10 Her influence: shaping futures, breaking barriers in a changing world Read more

Her influence: shaping futures, breaking barriers in a changing world

In today’s dynamic and often unpredictable world, the need for strong, visionary, and inclusive leadership has never been greater.

This session will spotlight the influence of women leaders who are driving transformation, breaking down barriers, and empowering others to achieve their fullest potential.

We will bring together inspiring voices from diverse sectors – from social innovation and community impact to financial leadership and governance, to corporate growth and regional business transformation.

Together, our panellists will share personal journeys, leadership philosophies, and strategies for creating lasting impact.

Speakers: Norlida (Oli) Azmi, Founder – Chapter Advisory, Yuen Leng Chin, CFO – Zurich Malaysia, Abir Abdul Rahim, Head of e-Channel (EFTB & Finance) – Etiqa Insurance and Takaful, Sharm Ravindran, Managing Partner – Ravindran

Chair's close 18:15 - 18:30
Drinks reception 18:30 - 19:30
Dinner 19:30 - 22:30

Pricing and booking information

Booking has now ended for the conference. However, please do email our events team to check for any last-minute availability.

27 May to 3 July
Super saver member: £225
Super saver non-member: £265

4 July to 9 August
Early bird member: £235
Early bird non-member: £305

10 August to 11 September
Member late: £300
Non-member late: £350

Throughout
Virtual member: £185
Virtual non-member: £215

 

Thank you to our sponsors

Sponsors

Location

, Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Events Team

Contact our Events Team for further information or assistance.
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