Our people: Laura Rossi
Actuarial, Reward & Analytics Graduate Programme
Join our leading actuarial practice and apply your skills in projects reaching beyond traditional actuarial boundaries. You'll work with colleagues and clients in Consulting, Corporate Finance, Tax and Audit - exposing you to leading-edge actuarial work in a strategic, commercial, and business context.
Meet Laura Rossi, an actuarial consultant with a background in software consulting, data analysis, and communications.
I started my career as a software developer in the USA (yes, really!). I had worked various part-time software development jobs throughout college, so after graduation, this felt like the natural next step. However, I quickly realised I needed to redirect. The work was both interesting and challenging, but a bit mechanical. I didn’t have many opportunities to think through new problems and build solutions from first principles.
So I went back to school for an MBA with a large programming component and a Certificate in Applied Statistics. I wanted to combine what I loved about my previous job with further use of statistical methods and see how it all tied into the running of actual businesses. The MBA and statistics combination allowed me to do just that, while also developing very important soft skills.
The same goal led me to join the actuarial graduate programme. Our work is based on mathematical foundations, but we also spend a lot of our time understanding our client’s needs and building the tools they need.
However, being new to the actuarial field, I wanted to work somewhere that would value my non-actuarial background and let me work across different disciplines and areas of specialisation. I also looked for an environment that would be challenging but supportive, so I could learn the most from every experience.
This is exactly what Deloitte had to offer. Just in my first year, I worked on projects spanning many different disciplines and areas of specialisation. My role was different in each project as well, which helped me learn about all the possible jobs an Actuary may have.
In addition, Deloitte’s Actuarial Modelling Centre was the perfect place for my past software development experience to shine. Working on AMC projects has allowed me to learn more about software development and implementation within the actuarial world, which is a fascinating – and growing - field. AMC work ranges from traditional actuarial modelling all the way to emerging fields like AI and machine learning. Moreover, the AMC has projects based in multiple countries, giving us the opportunity to works with colleagues from all over the world.
Last but not least, the actuarial team in Dublin is made up of excellent people that I truly enjoy working with. Everyone on the team was welcoming and happy to help me learn the ropes from day one. Almost two years in, I still learn something new from my teammates every day.
The team is very social outside of work as well. We’re a fairly young and diverse crowd, and social or sporting activities are held weekly. I was new to Dublin when I joined, so having such a friendly and supportive team has been invaluable.
