Episode 86: High Performance, Human Leadership with Jessica Lilley
“I asked my team what communication they could do without. Everybody said they could have less emails, they could have less written communication — but they wanted the drop-in session to stay. It's a real chance just to connect each week, for them to see me and for me to see them, regardless of what people are working on and where they are in the country
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Jessica Lilley, Actuary and Senior Leader.
Nominated as one of the greatest actuarial leaders in 2026, experienced actuary and senior leader Jessica Lilley shares her leadership lessons.
In this interview Jess shares:
Why genuine recognition, modelled by the great leaders she's worked for, became a cornerstone of the culture she has built with her own team,
How an unconventional communication experiment during a period of organisational change became a permanent and central part of how her team connects,
What it really takes to build a culture where people feel safe to fail, and how she measures whether it's actually working, and
Her top tip for actuaries stepping into leadership roles for the first time.
Jessica Lilley is a Senior Actuary at the National Disability Insurance Agency, where she leads a team of more than 75 actuaries and analysts providing advice to the NDIA Board, senior leaders and government. She has almost 20 years’ experience across general insurance and the disability sector, and has been involved with the National Disability Insurance Scheme since its establishment — first at PwC, and then at the NDIA, where she’s worked since 2014. In her current role, her focus is on understanding how reform is shaping the long‑term sustainability of the Scheme.
Download a transcript of this interview.
Connect with Jess on LinkedIn.
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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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