KPMG senior partner and general insurance specialist Jefferson Gibbs has been appointed Actuaries Institute President.

Mr Gibbs, who takes over from Hoa Bui, says actuaries will increasingly expand their remit and take on greater and more diverse roles in managing risk.

“We must continue to lead in areas of public policy where we have the insight to create real change,” he said in a speech to actuaries last week.

The group should strengthen relationships with governments, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and other regulators, as well as with a wider-ranging set of organisations, he says.

In the year ahead, the institute will complete further work on the Australian Actuaries Climate Index and expand its education program with studies on data analytics principles and added insurance-related subjects.

Mr Gibbs has been an Appointed Actuary and has worked with governments, not-for-profits and private sector clients in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.