Australian actuary Fred Rowley has been named President-elect of the International Actuarial Association (IAA).

Mr Rowley, a former president of the Actuaries Institute, will take up the role in January and is expected to become President in 2015.

He will be only the second Australian to hold the position. As an officer of the IAA, he will be responsible for leading the profession’s global direction.

TAL Life Chief Actuary Mr Rowley has been a member of the Actuaries Institute for more than 15 years.

Institute President John Newman says Mr Rowley is an inspiration. “Fred takes it upon himself to do his utmost to advance the actuarial profession across the board, and his election as president-elect of the IAA recognises this.”

Mr Rowley says his goals include ensuring “the actuarial profession is fully engaged with the right bodies around the world and that its role and contribution are fully recognised in the international domain”.