Lixing Zeng

Can you tell us about what your job entails?

I am part of RACQ’s Insurance Pricing department, which is responsible for using different modelling to determine insurance pricing and premiums.

How did you end up in your role?
I moved from China to Canberra when I was 19 to complete an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in actuary studies at The Australian National University in Canberra. It was scary at first, but then I started to settle in, made friends, and my English became stronger.

Earlier this year I moved to Brisbane and started my first ever job as an insurance pricing analyst at RACQ. I love maths, and loved it all through school. I figured insurance is a good industry which combines my interest in equations and algorithms and will also give me a long and prosperous career where I can continue to develop and learn.

What career advice do you have for others?
While some may think mathematics, actuary studies and insurance are traditionally male-dominated fields – I think insurance, or pricing analytics more specifically, is well suited to women, because it’s all about attention to detail and problem solving, which we are great at!

I encourage all females, both at RACQ and elsewhere - especially international women – to be confident and show their abilities and talents and share their ideas.

For those who don’t speak English as their first language, I know it can be difficult to start a career in a diversified country and work in an environment where you need to use a second language. I have found it’s always helpful to communicate as much as possible, don’t be shy and embrace the different culture with an open mind.