Barbadian Lisa Wade Elected President-Elect of International Actuarial Association

Barbadian actuary Lisa Wade has made history.

She is the president-elect of the International Actuarial Association (IAA), making it the first time that someone from the Caribbean has been nominated to hold that post.

Wade’s nomination is expected to be finalised at IAA council and committee meetings in Tokyo, Japan, in November, clearing the way for her to become IAA president for 2028.

Her recommendation by the IAA nominations committee took place recently when the IAA, a worldwide association of professional actuarial associations, held council and committee meetings in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

“I am so honoured to be nominated to be the next president-elect of the International Actuarial Association at its recently concluded meetings in Ljubljana and look forward to the finalisation of my nomination at the IAA’s Tokyo council and committee meetings,” Wade said.

“As a lifelong actuarial volunteer on a regional and international level, I feel passionately about the actuarial profession and the contribution it makes to our societies. I am looking forward to working further with our member associations to grow the footprint of the actuarial profession.

“Bringing this honour to Barbados and the Caribbean is a source of great pride for me. My early years at the University of the West Indies forged my desire to contribute to the Caribbean’s development and I recognise, as I take this role on the global stage, that I will also be an ambassador for my region.”

Wade is principal of actuarial firm Eckler Limited and a past president of the Caribbean Actuarial Association (CAA).

“Eckler Ltd has been a great supporter of my volunteer journey and I would like to thank the Eckler team and the Barbados office for their great support,” she said.

Founded in 1895, the IAA has 73 full member associations and 24 associate member associations.

The CAA said in a statement that it was delighted about Wade’s nomination. She was the organisation’s president 2013 to 2015 and is credited with playing “a central role in strengthening the CAA’s institutional framework, including leading digital transformation initiatives, modernising its governance structure and developing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders”.

The CAA said Wade’s elevation to the IAA presidency “will recognise not only her contribution to the profession at an international level, but her desire to further the IAA’s development”.

“During her tenure at the IAA, she has served on its executive committee and has led initiatives to strengthen the institutional framework for the management of its supranational relationships as well as to broaden inclusion within the actuarial profession,” the regional body said. (SC)