Leading With Authenticity

I’ve known Alex Zaidlin, FSA, MAAA, for more than two decades. We both grew up in Toronto, studied Actuarial Science at the University of Toronto, and ultimately built our careers as actuaries in New York.

The University of Toronto is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading universities, and its actuarial science programs are among the oldest and best-regarded in North America and internationally, preparing students for actuarial careers across insurance, finance, pensions, consulting and related risk fields. Looking back, it’s remarkable that two students who once sat in the same classrooms would eventually find themselves building careers in the same city.

Over the years, we’ve each built careers in the profession, taking different paths but remaining connected through our shared actuarial roots. Today, Alex is a Principal at KPMG LLP and a respected leader in the industry. Throughout his career, I’ve admired not only his technical expertise but also the authenticity and empathy he brings to leadership.

As we reflect on Pride Month, I wanted to have a conversation that goes beyond titles and resumes. The actuarial profession has evolved tremendously over the past two decades. Workplaces have become more open and inclusive, yet every person’s journey is unique. Alex has witnessed that evolution firsthand, and I was excited to sit down with someone I’ve known since our university days to reflect on career, identity, leadership and the future of our profession.

Going back 20 years, when you think about that younger version of yourself, what do you remember most?

Alex Zaidlin: When I think about myself 20 years ago, I remember someone who was very driven, very curious and probably a little more unsure of himself than he let people see.

At that stage, I was focused on doing well at work, passing exams, building credibility and proving that I belonged. The actuarial path tends to attract people who are disciplined and achievement-oriented, and I was certainly part of that group. At the time, I thought success was mostly about being prepared, working hard and having the right technical answer.

And to be fair, those things still matter. Preparation, discipline and technical excellence are an important part of the profession. But what I have learned over time is that a career is also shaped by relationships, judgment, empathy and how you show up for people when things are complex or uncertain. Over two decades in consulting and reinsurance has taught me that again and again. Clients don’t just want technical answers, they want someone they can trust. They want someone who understands the complexity of their business, listens carefully and helps them move forward when the path is not well charted. In my view, credibility is not just about having the right answer, but about being someone people can count on to be thoughtful, grounded, honest and helpful.

Over time, I also learned that confidence doesn’t mean never having doubts. It means continuing to show up, prepare, learn and contribute even while you are still growing—that’s something I wish I had understood earlier.
If I could talk to that younger version of myself, I would tell him, “You don’t have to be perfect to be credible, you can be thoughtful, prepared, kind, curious and still be taken seriously. In fact, those qualities may become some of your greatest strengths.”

Were there moments when you felt you had to hide part of yourself professionally?

Alex: Of course. Especially early in my career.

I don’t think it always showed up in dramatic ways. It was more nuanced: deciding how much to share in a casual conversation, wondering whether to correct an assumption and always thinking carefully about how much of my personal life belonged in a professional setting.

At the time, I just told myself I was being professional. Looking back, I can see that I was also trying to protect myself. I wanted to be seen as capable, serious, and focused—I didn’t want anything about who I was to distract from the quality of my work.

That feeling can be especially complicated in consulting, where building relationships is so important. I spend a great deal of time building trust with clients and teams. Early on, I thought trust was developed by fitting a certain mold. In retrospect, I realize I spent a lot of energy trying to fit that mold. If you are already wondering whether you belong in a particular setting, and you feel like you have to edit yourself on top of that, it can become tiring and distracting. That energy could be going toward contributing, learning, building relationships and leading. Over time, I learned that trust is much stronger when people experience you as real, consistent and grounded.

Our profession has changed a lot over the past 20 years, and I am grateful for that. There is more openness, more visibility of diversity in the actuarial world, and more recognition that people do their best work when they feel they belong. The SOA’s support of multiple affinity groups is one example of how the profession is trying to create more connection and belonging.

I truly believe that the sense of belonging is created in very human moments. It’s in how people are welcomed, how assumptions are handled, whose voices are heard, and whether people feel safe being honest.

That is where leaders have a real responsibility. We cannot just say, “Everyone is welcome.” We have to create the kind of environment where people actually feel it.

Do you think being comfortable with who you are makes you a better leader, and if so, why?

Alex: I really do. When you’re more comfortable with yourself, you spend less energy trying to perform a version of leadership and more energy actually leading. You become more present. You listen better. You are more willing to admit what you don’t know. And I think people can feel that.

I truly believe that authenticity has also made me more empathetic. When you have spent time thinking about belonging, you become more aware of how others may be experiencing a room. You notice who is speaking, who is quiet, who seems hesitant and who may need a little encouragement.

That matters in all aspects of work. I often help organizations undergoing major change: new strategies, new operating models, new technologies, new risks and new ways of working. Those situations can be exciting, but they can also be stressful. People may feel uncertain, skeptical, overwhelmed or unsure of where they fit in the future state. A good leader has to bring clarity, but also patience and humanity.

I also believe leaders have a responsibility to bring forward diverse points of view. It isn’t enough to invite people to a meeting and assume inclusion has happened. Leaders need to actively ask, “Who have we not heard from?” “What assumptions are we making?” “Is there another way to see this?” “Are we creating enough space for people to challenge us?”

That is not just good culture – it leads to better decisions. In actuarial work, consulting, and transformation, the best answers often come from combining different perspectives: technical, business, operational, human and sometimes personal. Complex problems are rarely solved by one voice dominating the room.

The future of work will make this even more important. Hybrid work, AI, automation and digital collaboration are changing how people connect, learn, build credibility and grow their careers. In that environment, leadership has to be about more than expertise or hierarchy. It has to be about trust, adaptability and helping people feel that their perspective matters.

That is why comfort with who you are matters so much. It gives you the capacity to make room for others.

What are you most proud of—not professionally, but personally?

Alex: Personally, I am most proud of the relationships I have built and the life I have created.

I care deeply about my work, my clients, my teams and the profession. But at the end of the day, the people in our lives are what give everything meaning. I am proud of my family, my diverse friendships and the communities that have shaped me. I am proud of becoming more comfortable with who I am. And I am proud that, over time, I have become more open, more compassionate and more willing to be vulnerable.

That last piece did not come naturally. Earlier in my life, I probably thought strength meant having everything figured out. Now I think strength often looks very different. Sometimes it’s saying, “I don’t know yet.” Sometimes it’s asking for help. Sometimes it’s creating space for someone else to be honest about what they are struggling with.

That has been an important lesson for me personally, but it has also shaped how I lead. Consulting can be demanding—client service requires energy, focus and resilience. You cannot sustain that over the long term if you are completely disconnected from yourself.

I am also proud of learning to be kinder to myself. Like many others, I have had my moments of doubt. It’s that voice in our heads that makes us question our abilities and resilience. Over time, I learned not to let that voice define me. And I hope my clients and teams experience me as someone who helps other people quiet these voices in themselves, too.

In the end, life is less about collecting accomplishments and more about building meaningful connections and becoming more fully ourselves. Authenticity is not separate from performance. In many ways, it is what makes sustained performance possible.

Twenty years from now, what do you hope people remember about the impact you had on others?

Alex: Twenty years from now, I hope people remember less about my roles and titles and more about how I made them feel.

I hope people remember that I made them feel seen, valued and capable. I hope clients remember that I helped them navigate change with honesty, care and practical judgment. And I hope colleagues and younger actuaries remember that I invested in them. I hope they felt challenged, but also supported. I hope they felt that they could ask questions, make mistakes, grow, and bring their own perspective.

I also hope people remember that I made room for different voices. In any profession, but especially in one as analytical as ours, it can be easy to value the most confident voice in the room. But confidence and insight are not always the same thing. Some of the best ideas come from people who need to be invited in, encouraged or simply given enough space to speak.

That matters to me personally because consulting is ultimately a people business. Yes, we solve complex problems. But we do that by building trust, understanding context and helping people move from uncertainty to action.

As the future of work continues to evolve, the next generation of actuaries and consultants will face questions we are only beginning to understand. There will be questions about technology, AI, ethics, risk, human judgment and the role of the profession in a changing world. My hope is that I helped people build not only the skills to succeed in that future, but also the confidence to do it as themselves.

If someone looks back and says, “Alex helped me believe I belonged,” t

hat would mean a great deal to me. And if someone says, “He made space for my voice when I wasn’t sure it mattered,” that would mean just as much.

To me, that is one of the most meaningful forms of leadership: helping people feel that they belong, that they matter and that they don’t have to become someone else in order to succeed.

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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