Allianz Experts
Meet Christopher
Senior Actuarial Analyst at Allianz Life – appreciating cooperation with supportive, yet competitive, people.
He says: “Be patient – and don’t settle for a career you aren’t in love with!”
What’s your mission at Allianz?
An actuary uses a combination of mathematics, finance, and computer science to estimate future financial risks, typically for an insurance company. Most traditional actuaries focus on mathematics and finance, while others, such as myself, focus more on understanding the computer science aspect in order to build a financial modeling software to support the estimation of future risk. I never envisioned myself working on tasks that require a background in software development. I could not be happier that I get to work on projects related to software development as it has taught me how crucial modeling software is in the world of actuarial science. The most exciting part of my workday is simply the fluctuation in projects I am responsible for.
What’s your career progression?
I started my college studies focusing on biomedical engineering, and transitioned to applied mathematics in my third year. Before finding my position in the life insurance industry at Allianz Life, I interned at a company focused on property and casualty. After leaving my former position, I soon discovered that life insurance and annuities were far more fascinating for me.
What's surprising about your job?
My friends think I work mostly on mundane tasks, such as estimating the probability of someone dying. This type of task may come up in an actuary’s daily responsibilities, but there are other, far more interesting tasks, such as modeling potential financial outcomes based on stock index performance.
What’s your main career advice? What inspires you?
Dedicate yourself to becoming an expert in whatever division of insurance you pursue, better your soft skills and study hard for the actuarial exams!
