Lucy Zhang
Actuarial analyst
SIGMA Actuarial Consulting Group
Personal bio: Originally from China, I now live in Nashville, Tennessee, with my husband and two cats. I enjoy cooking, travelling, and being active. I also enjoy teaching my cats tricks, albeit with a low success rate. Currently, I spend my weekends running on the trails with my husband as we train for our first ultramarathon.
Professional profile: I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a bachelor’s degree in math/applied science. While completing my master’s degree at Middle Tennessee State University, I was fortunate enough to land an internship with SIGMA and upon graduating, joined the team full time. My current role is as an actuarial analyst at SIGMA. My consulting services with SIGMA involve the preparation of actuarial reserve analyses and loss projections for self-insurers, large deductible programs, and captives across a range of industries.
How did you end up in the captive industry?
A family friend who is an actuary introduced me to the insurance industry. As I enjoy problem solving and numbers, I felt actuarial science would be a perfect career fit. It was during my internship that I was exposed to the captive industry.
What/who have been your influences in the captive industry?
I would have to say my colleagues have influenced me and helped me grow. The environment at SIGMA is like a family–my co-workers with significant actuarial and captive experience are always helpful and willing to pass on knowledge and advice.
What are your aspirations for your career in the captive industry?
Actuaries are an integral part of the captive industry. Actuarial jargon can seem very foreign at times and I strive to communicate results in a such a way that clients not necessarily familiar with actuarial principles can understand. In recent years, there have been significant developments in China’s captive industry and I hope that my skills and experience can help Chinese clients achieve their goals.
What advice do you have for someone considering a role in the industry?
Have an open mind and always ask questions. There is a vast amount of information and people in this industry are friendly and willing to help. This is a challenging but rewarding industry.
Al Rhodes, president and senior actuary of SIGMA Actuarial Consulting Group “Lucy Zhang joined SIGMA Actuarial as an intern while in graduate school and we quickly realised that SIGMA would benefit by having her join us full time. Her ability to both analyse liabilities and explain the methodologies and results to captive clients highlights her growth into a valued member of our captive analytics group. Expect to see Zhang’s name as an emerging leader in analytics and metrics for the captive industry.”
