Tell us what you thought of this episode! This interview is part of the “Presidential Perspectives” mini-series with guest host Martin Mulcare. Trevor Matthews reflects on leadership, including his role as the 1997 President of the Actuaries Institute. “One of my favourite quotations about leadership comes from Napoleon Bonaparte. He said a leader is a dealer in hope", says Trevor. In this interview, Trevor shares: Why he was asked to join Council and serve as the President of the Actuaries Institute, how his corporate career shaped his leadership style, from running a small team to leading 12,000 people, why he sees leaders as “dealers of hope”, his outlook for the actuarial profession, and his top tip for actuaries aspiring to leadership roles. “I loved Trevor's suggestion that the prime skill for a leader is to be a "dealer in hope". This was particularly relevant for Trevor, President in the Institute's Centenary Year, to ensure that the profession was looking forward with optimism to its next 100 years”, says guest host Martin Mulcare. Trevor qualified as a Fellow in 1975, having attended Macquarie University on a cadetship with Legal & General. He rose rapidly through the ranks to become Managing Director of their Australian business at just 36, and that same year was recognised as the Institute's third ever Actuary of the Year. In 1996, Trevor moved to lead NAB's retail banking and financial services business and served as President of the Institute during that landmark Centenary Year. He then embarked on an impressive fifteen-year international career, leading life and general insurance businesses across Canada, Japan, Scotland and England. Returning to Australia in 2013, Trevor brought that global experience to the boardroom, chairing and serving on the boards of a number of listed and unlisted companies — among them AMP, Bupa, CoverMore, Tokio Marine Asia, CMC Markets, and currently Prudential Malaysia. Trevor is very happily married to a fellow actuary, and both of his sons have recently qualified as Fellows — a proud family legacy. He remains deeply grateful for the opportunities the profession has given him, and his enthusiasm for it is as strong as ever. Our guest host, Martin Mulcare, is a qualified actuary, experienced senior leader and a talented facilitator. He enjoys working with different types of people and he loves sharing ideas. Formerly the facilitator of the Professionalism Course, Martin is a member of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Ethics Centre and is the Chairman of the Board of The Growth Project. Connect with Trevor and Martin. Read Julia’s leadership development books written especially for actuaries: For new and aspiring managers: "Aspiring Actuarial Leaders: The Modern Manager’s Toolkit"For new and aspiring senior leaders: "Senior Leadership: An Essential Guide for Actuaries" We are featured in the Top 15 Actuary Podcasts here on Feedspot. Thank you for listening to the We Are Actuaries podcast. Connect with Julia and Guardian Actuarial on LinkedIn. For more interviews and articles, visit our website.
