RAW: Real Actuarial Women

In this episode, David Scharf demonstrates true allyship by shining the spotlight on a few key women who provided the confidence and encouragement he needed to transition from a nervous junior analyst to a sought-after industry speaker and past president of the CCA. David also plunges into his career journey and gives advice to other actuaries on how to move from passive support to active, tactical allyship for women in the field.

In our first, quarterly special topics episode, we celebrate NAWA's MentorUp Program by chatting with 3 women who have personally and professionally benefitted from the experience. Whether you’re building your actuarial career or ready to give back, NAWA MentorUp creates powerful connections that help you grow—together.

Sandy McCoy shares how she thrived in her career for many years on a reduced time book of business to prioritize her personal life, as well as tips for keeping humans first in her professional career. A great kickoff to our first episode of Season 2! Listen to the whole episode for discussion topics to integrate Sandy's tips into your own career journey.

The final episode of Season 1! Lizzie recaps our accomplishments from 2025 and gives some teasers for what's to come in Season 2 dropping in 2026.

In this episode, Malika Bender shares her non-linear actuarial journey, reflecting on gender, caregiving, and career tradeoffs while discussing her work at the CAS to further the inclusiveness of the actuarial profession.

Aria Rockwood shares her story working with Women Actuaries of the West and harnessing a powerful group of women to get her dream role as an actuary after spending many years prioritizing her personal life.

In this special episode, we hear from representatives of the 5 impact committees within NAWA. Learn about the mentorship program, upcoming GAINS report, and a myriad of services & resources our group offers to women & ally actuaries!

Alessa Quane tells us about her unique path to becoming a Chief Actuary. She encourages young actuaries to seek sponsorship & pay attention to the learned skills that C-Suite associates have that may be overlooked or taken for granted.

Dalesa Bady discusses the comfort of structure early in her career from actuarial exams and the importance of breaking free and charting your own course as you grow in your career.

Megan Baker tells us about her career journey and how transitioning to a leadership role felt like a way to give back to the profession.

Julia Lessing FIAA talks about how standing out and taking the road less traveled by fueled her incredible career. Check out her podcast "We Are Actuaries" for more content from women actuaries!

Ellen Kleinstuber (FSA, FCA, FSPA, EA, MAAA), founder of Infinity Actuarial Consulting, shares her story about having emotions in the workplace and how sponsors can be critical for your career if you prove them right with high performance.

Alexa Stephens, Chief Actuary for Assurant, tells us about her experience immigrating from Cuba, and how it helped her to become comfortable being uncomfortable; a skill which propelled her career forward.

Jessica Kildow tells us all about how perfectionism leads to burnout. Developing sustainable habits and learning to set boundaries is so important!

Bonus episode exploring what this podcast is, where we're headed as we expand in the future, and who the heck is this Lizzie Eason, ACAS person anyway??

In this episode, we learn about Candace Woods' inspiring journey from a small town and part-time work to becoming a Chief Actuary.

Cory Gusland discusses how women actuaries have inspired and uplifted his career and how he pays it forward as an ally to women actuaries today.

This episode, we hear about the incredible international career journey of Cathy Lyn. Fresh off of her election to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Council, she has her campaign speeches at the ready about the importance of diversity, voting, and thinking globally.

Kristen Long talks about being a non-stereotypical actuary. One of my personal favorite quotes from the interview is "You're allowed to be the best at something and say that out loud."