Profile

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Daniel McAleese

My CV

  • Education:

    Loreto College Coleraine -> Queens University Belfast

  • Qualifications:

    GCSE: 5A*, 4Aa A Levels: AAAa First Class Honors @ Queens Actuarial Fellowship Gained (Professional Exams)

  • Work History:

    Menswear shop, golf caddie, VIP box host at Odyssey Arena, Consultant Actuary

  • Current Job:

    Contracting Actuary

  • Employer

    I now work as a contractor. This means I work for myself and companies pay me to go in and help them with their projected.

    • About Me

      I am a 29 year old actuary who enjoys sports, travel and cooking. I live beside the sea in Northern Ireland, and I'm looking forward to surfing some big waves this winter!

    • Read more

      I am 29 years old. In my free time I like to surf, golf, play gaelic and do CrossFit. I also recently completed an Ironman (which is ultra distance triathlon).

      I also like to travel, I’ve seen quite a lot of the world, but I’ve only scratched the surface. I look forward to more trips away now that COVID restrictions are lighter.

      When I’m not playing sport or enjoying the outdoors, I really like to cook. I like to pick up recipes from my travels and use them in my cooking.

      I’m also learning chess. I’m not very good but I enjoy it.

    • My pronouns are

      he/him

    • How I Use Maths In My Job:

      I use maths to try to predict future events for companies, so that they can innovate, manage risk, plan, invest and price better.

      I work with large volumes of data, and carry out statistical calculations and projections to help companies plan for the future.

      Within this work, I use ratios, percentages, but most importantly, PROBABILITY, on a daily basis.

    • My Work

      An actuary tries to predict the future using maths

    • Read more

      Some fields actuaries commonly work in:

      1. Insurance
      2. Investment
      3. Risk Management
      4. Pensions
      5. Aviation
      6. Bookmakers
      7. etc….

      We try to use mathematical projections to assess the likelihood of future events, so that companies can, for example:

      1. Hold enough money to pay future liabilities
      2. Price their products better e.g. car insurance premiums
      3. Manage their risk properly
      4. Invest their money better
      5. Innovate their existing products

    • My Typical Day

      A typical day, is building predictive models to better manage companies future risk

    • Read more

      I currently build and test complex financial models for an insurance company, to ensure that they hold enough money to pay their customers in the future. I build part of this model using code. I work with a large team of actuaries across France, Ireland and Italy.

      Previous better known companies I have worked for include:

      1. Cadbury’s
      2. Jaguar
      3. Aviva
      4. Santander

    • What I'd do with the prize money

      I would use it to run a coding competition in each of the 5 schools in my local area. The plan would be to give kids the opportunity to build a creative piece of code and the best piece of code in each school would win £100.

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        Actuary not sure

        What or who inspired you to follow your career?

        A passion for mathematics

        What's your favourite use for maths in everyday life?

        Using the time of year and height of the sun to estimate the time when I am out surfing

        What did you think about Maths when you were in school?

        I thought it was much more efficient to study than most other subjects

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        Footballer

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Yes, I had a hard time concentrating

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        Doctor

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Oasis

        What's your favourite food?

        Pho

        What is the most fun thing you've done?

        Scuba diving in Indonesia

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        1. To be as content and happy as I can 2. To see as much of the world as I can 3. Complete an ultra-marathon

        Tell us a joke.

        Have you heard about the man who kept shouting broccoli and cauliflower? He thought he might have florets.

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