Episode 80: Presidential Perspectives with Helen Rowell
“
I think authenticity and being true to yourself are absolutely essential to be an effective leader.
If you haven't got that alignment of values in the leadership roles that you're undertaking, it's pretty hard to be an effective leader because people spot inauthentic behaviour very, very quickly.”
Helen Rowell, 2002 President of the Actuaries Institute.
Martin Mulcare asks Helen Rowell to share some reflections from her senior leadership experience, including her role as the 2002 President of the Actuaries Institute.
In this interview Helen shares:
Why she decided to run for Council and serve as the President of the Actuaries Institute,
How she built the skills needed to perform the role of President,
The importance of authentic leadership and choosing roles that are aligned with your values,
Her outlook for the actuarial profession, and
Her advice for actuaries aspiring to leadership roles.
“It is fascinating to hear Helen explain the skills she thinks are necessary to lead a profession at any time and then identify two leadership challenges that have only emerged recently”, says guest host Martin Mulcare.
Helen was appointed as a Director of Australian Retirement Trust Pty Ltd on 1 April 2024 and appointed as Chair effective 21 November 2025. She is also a Director of Mental Health Australia and Deputy Chair of the State Insurance Regulatory Authority NSW. Helen was recently appointed as a member of the newly constituted ASX Advisory Group on Corporate Governance. She was previously Chair of the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) panel undertaking a three-yearly review of the General Insurance Code of Practice which concluded in 2024. Helen was formerly a director of ART Life Insurance Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian Retirement Trust.
She previously held senior roles at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) for over 20 years, including 10 years as an Executive Board Member and Deputy Chair. Helen played a leading role in APRA’s regulatory and supervision activities, with a particular focus on superannuation and insurance, and has been a key driver of enhancements to APRA’s management approach with oversight of all aspects of APRA’s operations, including strategy, finance, risk, security, audit, people and culture, corporate and regulatory affairs.
Helen holds a BA, Actuarial from Macquarie University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.
Our guest host, Martin Mulcare, is a qualified actuary, experienced senior leader and a talented facilitator. He enjoys working with different types of people and he loves sharing ideas. Formerly the facilitator of the Professionalism Course, Martin is a member of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Ethics Centre and is the Chairman of the Board of The Growth Project.
Connect with Helen on LinkedIn.
Connect with Martin on LinkedIn.
Views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not represent the views of their places of work.
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