About Us
Why NAWA?
From the 80s to the 2010s our profession saw steady growth in the percentage of female actuaries - rising from around 20 up to 31%. But for the past decade, things have stayed stagnant and female representation at senior leadership levels look even worse.
It's time for change. And because the support of allies are key to meaningful change, it is just as important to include allies in our community as the women we are seeking to empower.
Our Foundational Principles
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Support women and allies in the actuarial profession at entry, in leadership positions, and within all professional organizations
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Create a sense of community amongst women and allies across sectors, specialties, and walks of life.
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Provide opportunities for personal and professional development tailored toward women and allies.
Sandy Lowe, FCAS
President
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Sandy Lowe, FCAS is a property and casualty actuary from Chicago and currently serves on the Board and as President for NAWA. Sandy is currently the Actuary Manager of the State Deep Dive Home Analytics team at Liberty Mutual overseeing profitability and state strategy for the Homeowners line. In her 10+ years of experience in the industry, she has had the opportunity to manage the implementation of a new product, manage profitable growth in numerous Auto, Home and Specialty books, and mentor and develop women in the workplace. Sandy also serves on the CAS Board of Directors. She is passionate about supporting women and allies in the actuarial profession and strengthening the profession for current and future generations.
Rae Warner
Treasurer, President-Elect
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Rae Warner is a NAWA Board member and currently Co-chair of the Partnerships Committee. Rae has 15 years of experience in Property and Casualty Actuarial. She is currently a Director of Actuarial and Analytics in Ceded Reinsurance Actuarial at Travelers. Rae is passionate about increasing women's representation in the industry and creating a more inclusive environment for all actuaries. She has been involved in this over the years through mentoring, leading allyship programs, and volunteering. Rae is excited to work with NAWA's members and partners to broaden NAWA's reach and impact in the profession in the years to come.
Madhuri Kumar, FIA
Secretary
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She is the North America practice leader at URS, and services clients on reinsurance and retro structuring, capital and exposure management, portfolio management and climate risk. She started her career as an Investments actuary with experience in the London market, US, Bermuda, Asia, Italy and Canada.
At NAWA, she steers our community engagement initiatives and support the Partnerships team. She chairs and supports multiple working parties at the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries and lead education initiatives as Board member of the U.S. Reinsurance Under 40s.
She currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, and won’t turn down a row on the waters or a hike in the beautiful north shore mountains.
Aree Bly, Former FSA/MAAA
Board Member
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Aree Bly enjoyed 25 years as an actuary in the healthcare industry before refocusing herself as a success coach for actuaries. She has a rich history of leading large projects, managing diverse teams, and developing key training initiatives in both consulting firms and health insurance companies. With her focus on supporting colleagues in their personal and professional growth, she has played a pivotal role in developing internal mentoring and coaching programs. Today, Aree leverages her unique blend of technical acumen and people skills to help individuals navigate their values, strengths, and skills, enabling them to lead and succeed. As a passionate advocate for women in the actuarial field, Aree is excited to join the NAWA team.
Kristen Long, FSA
Board Member
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Kristen is the Director, Actuary for the Colonial Life Financial Planning & Analysis team at Unum and has held prior positions in Group Pricing, Corporate Actuarial, and Voluntary Benefits Valuation. She holds a degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Western Ontario. Kristen also serves as a mentor to many peers, leads initiatives for the development program associates based out of Unum's Chattanooga office, and volunteers with the SOA and NAWA. She is passionate about mentoring and helping other women in the actuarial profession, actively participating in industry networks and initiatives to foster growth and diversity. When she is not working or volunteering, she enjoys shopping, exercising, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Kristen is excited to join the NAWA Board to help further the growth, development, and empowerment of women within the actuarial profession.
Amber Rohde, FCAS
Board Member
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Amber Rohde, FCAS, is a strategic and results-oriented leader with 20+ years of global Property & Casualty experience, strengthened by a breadth of diverse roles, volunteer work, and elected Board positions. She is a founding member of NAWA and the Non-Profit’s first Board President. Amber is also an active volunteer, leader and former Board member of the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). As an AVP at Travelers, she leads the Actuarial and Data Science team for Enterprise Catastrophe Risk Management. She is passionate about the field, the industry, and a champion for career engagement.
Our Leadership Council
Jessi Dougherty
Partnerships VP
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Jessi Kildow is a senior actuarial manager with Milliman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and obtained her Fellowship with the Society of Actuaries in 2020. She works in a non-traditional actuarial role and is passionate about improving the cost and quality of healthcare in the United States through alternative payment models. Jessi supports the Network of Actuarial Women and Allies (NAWA) through her role on NAWA’s Leadership Council, and volunteers each week with Braven, an organization with a mission to empower promising, underrepresented young people. Outside of her career and volunteer commitments, Jessi enjoys running and hiking with her dog Moose.
Lizzie Eason
Learning & Development VP
Anna Maevskaia
Community & Connections VP
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She is a VP and Treaty Casualty reinsurance pricing team lead at Everest. She has been a P&C actuary for over 15 years and in reinsurance since 2019. She is excited about the opportunity to give back to the profession and support a cause she truly cares about through my involvement with Community & Connection at NAWA. She also volunteers on the steering committee of the Women’s Networking Group at Everest and serve as a mentor in their mentorship program. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family – her husband and her adorable, highly energetic 6-year-old son. She also likes to travel, read, spend time with her friends, and ski.
Megan Camanocha
VP of Insights & Awareness
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Megan Camanocha is a commercial pricing actuary with Mobilitas, a subsidiary of CSAA. She has worked in the property and casualty insurance industry since 2008 and has had various actuarial and advanced analytics roles in both personal and commercial lines. Megan is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS) and holds a degree in Applied Mathematics from Boston University. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, three children, and dog.
Bryndís Arnarsdóttir
Partnerships AVP
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Bryndís Arnarsdóttir is an Actuarial Associate at Assurant, where she contributes to the Mobile Pricing team. Born and raised in Iceland, she has a strong passion for advocating for gender equity and empowering women in the workplace. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Actuarial Science, and currently lives in Atlanta. She enjoys playing tennis, travelling, and spending quality time with her family.
Linley Baker
Learning & Development AVP
