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What did you study at university and why?
Bachelor of Applied Science with majors in chemistry and mathematics. I always
wanted to be a scientist, so I could make a significant contribution to our
understanding of the universe.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Either an astronomer or a palaeontologist (I wanted to dig up dinosaurs). When I
discovered that there were very few jobs in either astronomy or palaeontology in
Australia, I chose chemistry because I liked making things explode.
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Why did you join Watson Wyatt?
Before joining Watson Wyatt, I worked for a large insurance company. I decided
to come here because it was a small, dynamic organisation where decisions could
be made quickly and I could make a contribution. And I had a friend already
working here too who enjoyed it.
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How long have you been at Watson Wyatt?
Twelve and a half years.
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What does your role involve at Watson Wyatt?
I have two main roles at Watson Wyatt:
- I specialise in group insurance, where I provide consulting advice to our
clients about the insurance cover that their employees receive via their
superannuation.
- I also have a research and compliance role, which involves keeping our
people and their clients up to date on superannuation and providing technical
and compliance review of advice, communication material, etc. I also
participate in various industry committees and draft many of our bulletins and
updates.
The best thing about my role is the huge variety of work and the range of
people I get to work with.
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What do you like best about working at Watson Wyatt?
I know everyone says it, but it has to be the Watson Wyatt people. We spend so
much time at work that it just isn’t enjoyable if we don't get on with the
people around us. We have a fantastic group who are great fun to work with.
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What do you like least about working at Watson Wyatt?
The amount of technical superannuation reading I need to do. To do my job, I
have to keep on top of every aspect of the superannuation environment, and it
changes a lot. People rely on me to have answers and to have them quickly, so it
can mean doing some of this reading outside of work.
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What things do you do outside of work?
I read voraciously (mostly science, philosophy and ancient, medieval and
military history). Some would call my book collection an obsession—it's
certainly outgrown every house I've ever lived in. I've been studying Russian
for about 18 months and I travelled to Russia earlier this year. I'd really like
to go back. It’s an amazing country. I've also started playing tennis again and
I'm having a ball.
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How has Watson Wyatt supported you with the things you’re involved in
outside of work?
After I started working in superannuation, I sat the UK and then Australian
actuarial exams (I'm an almost qualified actuary), and did a Graduate Diploma in
Financial Planning. I’m now half way through a Diploma of Insurance to support
my insurance work. Watson Wyatt supported me financially through the last of my
actuarial exams and now too with the Diploma. Watson Wyatt offers flexibility so
that I can take a morning off or work from home if I need to take sick cats to
the vet, for example. As a single person that flexibility is really important.
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If there was anyone in the world you could have dinner with, whom would it
be, and why?
My personal hero is a woman called Hypatia, who was a mathematician and
philosopher and the last head of the Great Library in Alexandria, Egypt, before
it was destroyed in around 400 AD. The Library was arguably the centre of
learning in the Roman world. At its peak it was thought to hold almost a million
volumes, most of which have been lost.
In a period when women had almost no power or influence, Hypatia was a
successful, independent woman who was seen by her male peers as their equal. She
was martyred at the same time as the Library was destroyed.
I'd love to talk with her about her achievements, the way she thought about
the world, and the fascinating volumes that the Library held.
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