We start with outdoor twilight Mass on Christmas Eve and a mid-afternoon Christmas Day feast with family.

When engaged by clients, consulting actuaries don’t have competing priorities, nor do they have a lack of bandwidth – they are the bandwidth. They aren’t part of BAU, or transformation projects and don’t have to worry about headcount challenges – they are the headcount.

2020 was a watershed year due to COVID-19. Being Melbourne-based, the McGing team navigated a new working environment as we continued to support our staff and clients.

It wasn’t just everyday Australians impacted by COVID-19; superannuation funds have also faced new challenges. Here are three key areas I believe will see further concentrated activity throughout 2021.

COVID-19 has forced a profound change in the working environment for many businesses. This has indeed been my experience at McGing Advisory & Actuarial. Particularly, COVID-19 from a worker perspective has forced us to become greater wielders of technology, as we find new ways to organise workflows, communicate with clients and provide quality service to them.

COVID-19 has been the single all encompassing internal and external driver for organisations. It has changed the focus of leaders and exposed good and bad leadership – not unlike Warren Buffet’s investment mantra that “only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked”!