Leadership Through Authenticity

Women’s History Month invites us to reflect on the women whose careers—sometimes quietly, sometimes boldly—have shaped our profession in lasting ways. I was especially excited to sit down with Laura Bennett, FSA, CFA, MBA, in part because we share a meaningful common starting point: We both began our actuarial careers in Canada, and also because her career doesn’t follow a tidy, linear résumé narrative. Instead, it reflects curiosity, courage and a willingness to step into discomfort before fully knowing where it might lead.

In this fireside chat, Laura reflects on the moments that subtly—but profoundly—shaped her trajectory, offers candid perspectives on hybrid work and mentorship, and shares her hopes for the next generation of women actuaries and insurance leaders. Throughout her journey, Laura has built her leadership identity through authenticity—championing those on the margins, leading with empathy and balancing heart with business rigor during times of change. I believe the following reflections are thoughtful, honest, and deeply human—and hope they resonate with you as much as they did with me.

When you think back to your early career, what is a moment that felt small at the time but ended up changing your trajectory?

Laura Bennett: I was a part of an up-and-coming leaders’ program and had done a series of tests like the Myers-Briggs and other assessments going around at the time. It seemed a corporate thing to do, and I didn’t think much of it, enjoying the diversion of learning new things outside of my highly technical work. My Myers-Briggs was Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging ( INTJ), although it was probably a combination of things from a variety of tests.

Once the results were all in, I met with the consultant to discuss my profile, and he started off asking me what my career goals were. I didn’t really have any at that time. I was a nerdy actuary working at a large-ish life and health company in the very non-sexy corporate side of the actuarial world, and I kept rotating to different roles when asked to. It was easy just to do what others wanted me to, and it worked well for me.

When I didn’t have much to say, he said, “Have you thought about being a CEO?” I thought he was joking, but there he was in his consulting suit and serious face, and so I thought about it. “That could be interesting,” I said, feeling a bit dubious about the whole thing. He replied, “Good, then you will have to leave this company because it’s not the environment for you.” He was completely serious. I left the meeting in mental disarray, but put his words to the back of my mind. Over the next couple of years, his words grew larger as I gained a lot more perspective in my work life. I ended up leaving to do my MBA after a great start to my career.

What part of hybrid work actually empowers women—and what part still holds us back? Any rules you personally live by?

Laura: The ability to flex between work and personal life seamlessly is such a huge benefit. Whether you are caregiving (kids, parents, other family members) or just trying to have a life away from commuting, the mental and physical health benefits are huge, and when you max out those benefits, they flow through to the quality of your work and your commitment to your company. I’ve loved that aspect of hybrid working. On the other hand, out of sight can mean out of mind—and you have to work hard to remain top of mind with your coworkers and boss if they are spending more time in the office than you are.

I also think that nothing beats getting together to work together, although a lot of office work today seems to be going to a location to take Zoom calls with people who aren’t with you. With my hybrid teams, I worked hard to bring my people together, in for a week, at least every half year, so we could get to know each other personally and knock out things that could be solved with one in-person conversation.

Women often carry invisible leadership roles—the team glue, the culture builder, the person who notices everything. What is an “invisible skill” you rely on that doesn’t show up in your job description?

Laura: What you see is who I really am—at work and at home. I’m not sure that’s a skill; it is what it is, and I can’t be any other way. But I find that my authentic approach, with all its positives and challenges, has always brought teams together to do extraordinary things.

When I show up as myself, it often manifests itself as giving a safe space to my team. I’m vulnerable, and they can be too. I expect and require great things of my team, and I encourage each person to take on tasks they might not have done before or have struggled with in the past. I guide them when they need it, support them along the way, and encourage them. And if they fail, that’s okay; there’s no judgment. It’s just about learning from what happened, reviewing their assumptions about what would happen, and what could be done differently. But often, they succeed in some way, often well beyond their own expectations, and that’s a huge win. And we do that over and over. I know that all sounds rather airy-fairy, but it works.

A specific example is bringing together a team of people who have never worked together before on a project that they have never tackled before—like a startup, for example. Even if you think you know how to do your job, the ambiguity of the situation requires you to expand your skills exponentially as an individual and as a team to be successful.

You’ve probably had moments of being “the first,” “the only,” or “the youngest in the room.” How did those experiences shape your leadership style? Did they push you, frustrate you, motivate you—or all of the above?

Laura: I think everyone would tell you that those situations inspired me to stay on the outside, to be the maverick, not to be like everyone else, and to do different and exciting things. I also looked for people for my team who were also on the outside and not enjoying their current work circumstances, and my leadership style blossomed to develop people by seeing what they couldn’t see in themselves and nurturing them beyond where they thought they could be.

Mentorship for women often takes different forms—sometimes more emotional, sometimes more strategic, and sometimes more informal. What’s a mentorship moment (either giving or receiving) that stayed with you?

Laura: When I’m mentored, I look for knowledge about myself that I wouldn’t have known. One particular moment comes to mind from my early career. My boss and mentor said to me, in a certain situation where I was a little lost and struggling in my new role, “Laura, you are always going to lean on your people skills first, but you’ve got to focus on the business side as well.” To be honest, I had no idea I had people skills, and no idea that I leaned on them first. It opened my eyes up to my strengths and things I was avoiding. That was a big moment for my perspective of myself.

Looking at the next generation of women actuaries and insurance leaders, what gives you hope, and conversely, what worries you?

Laura: (On hope.) I love that so many more women are coming from the edges—whether it be background, age, locations other than North America and while being mothers. I also love their ability to deal with ambiguity—jumping into training, and the less-than-clear nature of the work going forward in this time of technological acceleration.

(On worry.) I hope that today’s actuaries get the opportunity, like I did, to connect in person with their fellow actuarial cohort and to feel connected to their profession personally through in-person mentorship and sponsorship.

In closing, what do you wish someone would LOUDLY tell the next generation of women actuaries and insurance leaders?

Laura: Take every opportunity pushed your way, even if you don’t think that you can do it or if it goes against what you thought was your path. You might learn something about yourself that everyone else can see about you, and grow well beyond where you had pegged yourself.

Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.

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