Ingeborg Jansen: "My fear of the actuarial profession has now disappeared"

"In fact, after the first lecture on the actuarial profession, I joked that I might want to retrain." Ingeborg Jansen recently became director of DLE Uitvaartzorg- en verzekeringen. She had a background in the travel industry and participated in the lecture series Business operations of an insurer to master the insurance profession.

After 11.5 years at Stichting Het Buitenhof, a travel company for people with a disability, Jansen thought it was time for something new. This time, she wanted to go beyond the boundaries of the travel industry. But where exactly? DLE Uitvaartzorg- en verzekeringen fitted the picture, because services and care are well spent on her. But what about insurance? "In the travel industry, I had to deal with travel and cancellation insurances, but that was all about sales. The insurance industry therefore is new to me. And yes, it's hard sometimes, but it's getting more and more fun!"

Training plan

As of December 2022, Jansen was already shadowing the then interim director of DLE. And from March, she will be at the helm, supported by her financial manager. "I was recently tested positively by DNB. I have a lot of skills in terms of leadership and management, but I have drawn up a training plan for the insurance profession approved by DNB. The lecture series of the Dutch Association of Insurers and the University of Amsterdam is part of that."

Mighty interesting

The series consists of three parts. Balance sheet and risk management, behavioural economics and actuarial practice. "That last part was what I dreaded the most," Jansen says. "But how interesting it is to predict the future in order to be able to make choices! I learned a lot of new concepts and during the lectures the pieces of the puzzle were really pushed into place. As a result, the distance I previously felt from an actuary has also become much smaller. I know I don't need to be able to fill in stats myself, but I do need to understand them as a director. My fear of the unknown actuarial profession has now disappeared and that means that I also know how to ask the right questions. In fact, after the first lecture on the actuarial profession, I joked that I might want to retrain."

The Great Unknown

"For me, René Doff is the perfect teacher. He knows how to transfer knowledge in a smooth and accessible way using interesting use cases. He is hands-on and has a lot of humour. And because of this approach, he gives you the confidence to ask questions and not let yourself be put off by others who already have more knowledge and experience. Thanks to these lectures, I have laid a foundation for the knowledge I need to be able to practice my profession in a world that was unknown to me until now. Practice and theory now connect, pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. I've only just started in the industry and my head is working overtime. But that's okay, because I really like it."

Would you also like to participate in this lecture series? Check the training page for more information and registration. The English editions start on November 6.