The Actuaries Institute has hired branding experts to help the profession lift its image beyond that of “number crunchers”.

New President John Newman says the insurance sector sees actuaries as key players and recognises their skills beyond modelling – a view the institute wants to spread more widely.

“There is a risk of actuaries being perceived as only technicians,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “That is an issue, even in traditional fields.”

The profession wants to show how it can bring valuable insights and judgements to organisations, Mr Newman says. Actuaries’ roles are growing in banking and through moves into chief risk officer roles.

The branding strategy is also aimed at educators and young people, promoting actuarial careers.

“We are often our own worst enemies,” Mr Newman said. “We are not good at telling the world how much we have to offer.”