With a rapidly growing membership in South-East Asia and a unique network of businesses, governments and academic institutions, we are committed to supporting our members, their employers, students and educators all across the region.
Learn more about the services we offer
Become an actuary
Whether you're thinking about becoming an Associate, Fellow or Actuarial Analyst, the profession offers an exciting career for those who are ready to take the next step and get more from their love of maths.
Every year we welcome new students from all across South-East Asia who are inspired by the idea of becoming an actuary.
To qualify as an actuary you need to apply to become a student member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). You then need to pass our exams, which typically run in April and September, and gain a satisfactory level of work-based skills.
To find out more about the IFoA and how you can achieve your career goals, download our "More than maths" brochure today.
Being an actuary: our members' experience
Our members in South-East Asia work in traditional areas such as insurance, but also in non-traditional areas such as banking, investment, InsurTech and in digital roles.
Here are some stories from our members on the wide range of opportunities being an actuary gives you:
"The most important thing for an actuary is to have the right mindset to be able to manage people, adjust and convince people that you can do anything."
Anusha Thavarajah, CEO, Malaysia (Read the case study)
"I work in a small team in a reinsurance broker and the scope of work can be very diverse. Given the backdrop of maturity in the data science field, the increasing sophistication of the insurance industry in Asia, and the shifting insurance regulatory regimes in the region, it is clearly an exciting time to be an actuary."
Chris Lim Shen, Senior Analyst, Singapore (Read the case study)
"I enjoy developing a positive working relationship with my clients. It motivates me when I am able to solve their problems, and as a result, become their "first-to-go-to" contact. This makes my work feel more meaningful. I also enjoy the opportunity to apply my technical actuarial skills to creatively deliver innovative solutions for my clients whilst ensuring robust risk management practice."
Albertus Teddy Setiadi, Director, Singapore (Read the case study)
Supporting actuarial employers in South-East Asia
We are committed to promoting quality assurance at an organisational level to ensure confidence in the work of actuaries in South-East Asia.
There are now four employers in South-East Asia that have achieved the IFoA’s Quality Assurance Scheme (QAS) accreditation. The most recent addition is AIA Thailand, the first QAS accreditation awarded in Thailand.
The QAS accredited organisations in South-East Asia are:
- Actuarial Partners Consulting Sdh Bhd (Group Actuarial department)
- AIA Company Limited (Thailand Actuarial department)
- Aon Singapore Centre Innovation, Strategy & Management Pte Ltd
- Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT) lines of business for Willis Towers Watson Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd; Towers Watson Hong King Ltd; and PT Towers Watson Indonesia
Become an accredited university
The IFoA works with a range of accredited universities in South-East Asia to ensure the highest quality in actuarial education and training.
Top 3 reasons why universities apply for IFoA's accreditation:
- enhance their actuarial science programmes
- boost student employability
- increase their profile worldwide
There are eight universities in South-East Asia that have exemptions to at least some of the IFoA’s exams, these are:
- Asia Pacific University, Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University, Malaysia
- Mahidol University, Thailand
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Sunway University, Malaysia
- UCSI University, Malaysia
- University of Malaya, Malaysia
- Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia
View our list of accredited universities
Interested in becoming an accredited university? Contact us to find out more.
Become a volunteer
IFoA Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Volunteering brings a range of great benefits.
We have an active volunteer community in South-East Asia. There are over 70 volunteers in the region.
“Volunteering provides opportunities for members to interact with other actuaries, globally, and gives them a platform to exchange ideas and understand a variety of issues observed in developed and developing countries.”
Farzana Ismail (Read the case study)
"My role in the ISCF has also given me the opportunity to engage with many actuarial students in my region. By sharing their experience, thoughts and concerns with the IFoA Education team, I hope I can somewhat contribute in shaping the future of aspiring actuaries."
Ooi Choong Hern (Read the case study)
“I would encourage you to step forward and become a CPD Co-ordinator for your company!”
Pay Peng Neo (Read the case study)
Please contact us to find out more about volunteering opportunities in South-East Asia.
News
Tan Suee Chieh has been appointed as the President-elect for 2019 and will take on the role of President in June 2020. Click here for the full article.
The January 2019 edition of The Actuary magazine featured Sophia Ch'ng, an IFoA member based in Malaysia.
Read our latest South-East Asia newsletter for updates in the region or head to our International section for pervious editions.
Events
IFoA webinar - "COVID-19 - Risk, Uncertainty, Psychology and Judgement"
Mr. Tan Suee Chieh, IFoA's President-elect, will be hosting a series of webinars across South-East Asia on COVID-19. He will speak about the actuarial risk of the COVID-19 epidemic and the statistical factors which drive this contagion. He will initially use an actuarial risk-based approach in analysing the risk of infection and deaths, and contrast these to other risk types. There are limits to the efficacy of this approach because of the uncertainty, fear and biases inherent in the human psyche, and the complexity of extricating signals from noise. He will also discuss different risk appetites tied to personality profiles and the validity and role of rationality and emotions in mankind’s evolution. Participants are encouraged to participate in the discussions.
Dates
- Malaysia: 3 April
- Singapore: 8 April
- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand & Vietnam: 10 April
Time
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09.45-10.00 (GMT+8): Login via Zoom
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10.00-11.30 (GMT+8): Presentation and discussion
Other locations
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10.45-11.00 (GMT+8): Login via Zoom
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11.00-12.30 (GMT+8): Presentation and discussion
If you would like to attend, please email Caryn Chua with your full name, ARN, location and employer name. For members who have already registered via ASM for the Malaysia session, there is no need to re-register again.
Kindly note that the views and analysis presented in this presentation are of Mr. Tan’s personal narrative and not of IFoA’s official policy.
IFoA Asia Conference 2020
The IFoA's policy regarding COVID-19 is designed to safeguard the well-being of members and employees. As stated within the policy, the IFoA is reviewing its events programme on a case-by-case basis.
To this end the IFoA and their strategic partner, the AIR, have taken the decision to postpone this year's Asia Conference. A new date will be announced pending further reviews over the following months.
CERA Seminar - postponed to later in the year
CERA have taken the decision to postpone this seminar. A new date will be announced pending further reviews over the following months.
Please note that we are closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and may have to postpone or cancel this seminar should the need arise.
Event speakers
Looking for speakers? Our members are experienced speakers on a range of topics with recent presentations in South-East Asia on cyber risk, retirement adequacy and IFRS17.
About us
The IFoA’s Singapore office has been in operation since 2014 and we were the first, and remain the only, international body to have an office in South-East Asia. The office has been set up to cater to our 1,000+ members in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Please get in touch with us if you have an interest in joining the actuarial profession, or employing actuaries in South-East Asia.
| Contact details | |
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163 Tras Street, #07-05 Lian Huat Building, Singapore 079024 Contact number: +65 6906 0889 |
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Caryn Chua, South-East Asia Actuary Representative Contact number: +65 8838 5848 |
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Marie Lee, South-East Asia Regional Coordinator Contact number: +65 8778 1784 |
We also work closely with the local societies in the region:
Filter or search events
Events calendar
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Webinar: Extreme Mortality Events – How Bad is Coronavirus?
Worldwide20 April 2020This new topical webinar presented by Chair of the Life Board of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, Colin Dutkiewicz, will explore:
What is an extreme mortality event?
How does the current Covid-19 outbreak compare with other extreme mortality events?
What is the impact of this outbreak for insurers – and the wider economy?
What can we expect to happen next?
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Current Issues in General Insurance (CIGI) 2020
Webinars22 April 2020
Due to the COVID-19, we will be running this programme via a series of webinars commencing 22 April. CIGI is a well-established seminar designed to increase awareness and encourage discussion on a variety of topical issues across the general insurance industry.
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CIGI Webinar - Jumping the Gap - Updating Embedded Systems
Webinar22 April 2020InsurTech headlines are often big statements, which seem impossible to many working in the sector day-to-day. How can actuaries implement new systems, keep the value from legacy systems, deliver BAU and not require the resources of three teams? -
CIGI Webinar - Climate Change Risk in Insurance and Reinsurance
Webinar22 April 2020Pressure on organisations to address climate change risks is intensifying. But what does this really mean for insurers? In this session Adhiraj Maitra and Gareth Sutcliffe will look at the why, the what and the how of this risk through a number of different lenses including regulatory, principle and resilience. -
CIGI Webinar - The Influential Actuary: identity's Effect on Data Interpretation
Webinar23 April 2020Scientists, data analysts and actuaries can struggle to influence decision-making where strongly held political beliefs or membership of an identity group is threatened by their findings. Examples include: climate change, the disposal of nuclear waste and gun control. -
CIGI Webinar - Operational Resilience - Is It Time for a Top Down View of Risk?
Webinar23 April 2020There have been a number of events across the financial markets where particular services have fallen below customer expectations. These have included inability to receive or make payments or or the inability to check your own status or access services. In an increasingly interconnected world the causes of this are often complex and hard to spot in advance, but can be a major impact to the reputations of firms. -
CIGI Webinar - Are you Vulnerable ?
Webinar27 April 2020With ever increasing focus from the FCA on pricing practices and the relationship between insurers and their customers, it is critical to ensure appropriate controls are in place. This presentation summarises the latest developments in the market and showcases practical approaches to mitigate the risk of poor customer outcomes in pricing, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable customers.’ -
CIGI Webinar - An Update for Property and Casualty Reinsurance Renewals 2020
Webinar27 April 2020This webinar provides an update on renewal pricing outcomes for Property and Casualty markets at the latest 1/1 reinsurance renewals with the focus being on capacity availability and price drivers. These issues include, but are not limited to, the cat bond market, wider trends in claims outcomes, trends in Casualty RI space that affect pricing such as social inflation, yield curve, and the reserving cycle. -
CIGI Webinar - Current Issues in Personal Injury Modelling
Webinar28 April 2020The Ogden Discount Rate shock of 2017 brought about a period of profound uncertainty to General Insurance market. GI Actuaries' first task was to estimate the impact of the Ogden shocks, particularly to reserving and reinsurance pricing. Their second was to navigate a period of framework uncertainty, maintaining an agility in actuarial modelling as the Civil Liability Bill took shape. -
Professional Skills Training - Edinburgh (29 April 2020)
IFoA (Edinburgh), Level 2, Exchange Crescent 7 Conference Square Edinburgh EH3 8RA29 April 2020This event has been postponed. A new date will be announced soon.
A Trusted Profession
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Professional Skills Training - London (29 April 2020)
Staple Inn, High Holborn, London WC1V 7QJ29 April 2020This event has been postponed. A new date will be announced soon.
A Trusted Profession
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CIGI Webinar - Unlock the Value of IM Validation
Webinar30 April 2020Model validation should not be a tick box exercise. It has all the right ingredients to be a value adding exercise that can help senior management understand what really drives the business from a risk and capital perspective. Model validation can be a stressful, bloated process - and may not be as value adding as it could be. -
CIGI Webinar - Improving Customer Outcomes through Pricing
Webinar30 April 2020The FCA’s interim report into general insurance pricing practices has brought into focus a number of market wide issues including:Price walking • Poor governance • Higher prices for potentially vulnerable customers • Higher prices for less aware customers
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CANCELLED The Global Actuarial Profession
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ30 April 2020
We are sorry that this event has been cancelled.The IFoA's policy regarding COVID-19 is designed to safeguard the well-being of members and employees. As stated within the policy, the IFoA is reviewing its events programme on a case-by-case basis.
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CIGI Webinar - IFRS 17 Working Party Deep Dive
Webinar1 May 2020The IFRS 17 Working Party have been producing a number of deep dive papers, these include topics such as risk adjustment, impact of disclosures on how uncertainty is perceived, deferring acquisition costs over renewals, PAA eligibility and more. -
SIAS Event: Cyber Insurance
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ4 May 2020Due to the COVID-19, this event will be postponed. The new date TBC.
The talk will cover:
• Why cyber security is regarded as the top threat to businesses (Allianz Risk Barometer 2019)
• What is causing the shift in threat landscape
• Who is attacking, why, and how we can stop them
• Customer impressions of cyber security and how you can help them
• Threats to evaluating insurable losses and responding to claims
• How cyber insurance policies have evolved, and need to continue to do so -
Finance and Investment Conference 2020
Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Pl, London NW1 4LE05-05 May 2020Due to COVID-19, we are running this programme via a series of webinars commencing 5 May.The environmental, social and governance (ESG) space is growing rapidly and increasingly moving centre stage. In many cases, it is now an essential part of policy and central to the way stakeholders make decisions for the long term to ensure retention of clients, manage risk better, and ensure more economically efficient and sustainable investment returns.
ESG factors cover a wide range of areas reflecting how vital consideration of these factors are part of wider systemic risks.
The IFoA’s policy regarding Coronavirus is designed to safeguard the well being of those who attend IFoA events. Find out more.
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Professional Skills Training - Edinburgh (19 May 2020)
IFoA (Edinburgh), Level 2, Exchange Crescent 7 Conference Square Edinburgh EH3 8RA19 May 2020A Trusted Profession
A 2 hour CPD event designed to meet the IFoA’s Stage 3 Professional Skills Training under the IFoA’s CPD Scheme 2019/2020. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Pensions, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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Professional Skills Training - London (19 May 2020)
Staple Inn, High Holborn, London WC1V 7QJ19 May 2020A Trusted Profession
A 2 hour CPD event designed to meet the IFoA’s Stage 3 Professional Skills Training under the IFoA’s CPD Scheme 2019/2020. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Pensions, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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CILA 2020
Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Pl, London NW1 4LE20 May 2020Due to COVID-19 this event has been postponed until later in the year. A new date will be announced soon.Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020
The Grand Brighton, 97-99 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 2FW02-03 June 2020The Protection, Health and Care Conference is an annual conference aimed at all insurance professionals with a passion for harnessing insurance risk in their organisations. -
SIAS Event: Why personal impact matters for career progression & organisational performance & what affects it
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ2 June 2020Due to the COVID-19, this event will be postponed. The new date TBC.
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Mortality and Longevity 2020
1 Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London SW1H 9JJ08-08 June 2020This highly regarded seminar will provide topical and practical updates and discussion on the latest thinking and innovations in mortality and longevity. The program is designed for life, pensions and health and care actuaries, academics, researchers, underwriters and related practitioners eager to learn about the latest developments in mortality and longevity. The sessions are designed to be very accessible to a broad range of exp -
Professional Skills Training - London (10 June 2020)
Staple Inn, High Holborn, London WC1V 7QJ10 June 2020A Trusted Profession
A 2 hour CPD event designed to meet the IFoA’s Stage 3 Professional Skills Training under the IFoA’s CPD Scheme 2019/2020. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Pensions, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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Professional Skills Training - Edinburgh (17 June 2020)
IFoA (Edinburgh), Level 2, Exchange Crescent 7 Conference Square Edinburgh EH3 8RA17 June 2020A Trusted Profession
A 2 hour CPD event designed to meet the IFoA’s Stage 3 Professional Skills Training under the IFoA’s CPD Scheme 2019/2020. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Pensions, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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Professional Skills Training - London (18 June 2020)
Staple Inn, High Holborn, London WC1V 7QJ18 June 2020A Trusted Profession
A 2 hour CPD event designed to meet the IFoA’s Stage 3 Professional Skills Training under the IFoA’s CPD Scheme 2019/2020. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Pensions, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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Pensions Conference 2020
Renaissance Manchester City Centre Hotel, Blackfriars Street, Manchester,M3 2EQ18-19 June 2020Join us as this year’s conference that will focus on topics including funding and savings, pension law current issues, ESG, the end game and transferring risk, investment issues, data visualisation and data science. -
IFoA Asia Conference 2020, Kuala Lumpur
CCEC Nexus, 7, Jalan Kerinchi, Bangsar South, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia24-25 June 2020This event has been postponed. A new date will be announced.
The IFoA's policy regarding COVID-19 is designed to safeguard the well-being of members and employees. As stated within the policy, the IFoA is reviewing its events programme on a case-by-case basis.
To this end the IFoA and their strategic partner, the AIR, have taken the decision to postpone this year's Asia Conference. A new date will be announced pending further reviews over the following months.
Due to the COVID-19, we will be running this programme via a series of webinars commencing 22 April. 
We are sorry that this event has been cancelled.