1. Tell me about your professional journey to becoming Client Relations Senior Manager and Consultant at DW Simpson.
My parents, David and Patty Simpson founded DW Simpson before I was born, and I grew up around thoughtful business conversations. My parents often discussed both practical and philosophical ideas at the dinner table, and that shaped the way I think. From an early age, I was taught to weigh risk versus reward, to be ambitious but reasonable, and to value kindness and integrity along the way. I also saw firsthand how important it is to genuinely enjoy your work, and that perspective has stayed with me throughout my career and life.
After graduating from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, I originally began my professional path pursuing clinical psychology while working at Aflac in a benefits consulting and account management role. At the time, I was focused on understanding people: how they think, what motivates them, and how they make decisions. Looking back, that foundation became incredibly relevant to the work I do today.
Joining DW Simpson felt like a natural next step, and I started on the recruiting side of the business. That experience gave me a strong understanding of the actuarial market and reinforced just how important trust and relationships are within such a close-knit, specialized community. Over time, I found myself especially drawn to working more closely with clients and actuarial leaders, building relationships, understanding their long-term goals, and serving as a partner in a more strategic way.
That progression naturally led me into my current role in Client Relations. Today, I focus on building and maintaining partnerships with clients and actuarial leaders, understanding their business objectives, and helping shape actuarial teams thoughtfully and strategically. Having started in recruiting, I bring a dual perspective. I understand both the candidate mindset and the client need, which allows me to serve as an effective and well-rounded advisor.
What continues to motivate me is being at the intersection of people and strategy. The actuarial community is incredibly unique, and being able to help both individuals and organizations make meaningful, long-term decisions within that community is something I find deeply rewarding.
2. What does a typical day look like in your role?
No two days really look the same in my role, which is something I genuinely enjoy.
I work closely with actuarial hiring managers, senior leadership teams, and candidates across the insurance and consulting space. My day-to-day is a mix of business development, conversations around hiring, connecting with the actuarial community through social media, and attending industry events and meetings.
Overall, I am focused on building and maintaining client relationships, building processes and protocols for a seamless and swift successful hiring, understanding hiring needs, and identifying where DW Simpson can add long-term value.
As a consultant, I’m advising clients on everything from timing for a strong hire, to compensation expectations and market trends.
3. Why is this your dream role?
This role aligns closely with both my strengths, interests, and what I value long-term.
I have always been drawn to understanding people: what motivates them, what they are looking for, and how they define success. One thing I have learned over time is that success looks different for everyone, and finding alignment between career goals and personal priorities is incredibly important.
At the same time, I genuinely enjoy the strategic side of the business. I like working with clients, understanding their goals, and helping them think through how to build strong actuarial teams. For me, the best outcomes come from strong relationships, because that is where real understanding happens. It is how you learn what will truly work, not just on paper, but culturally and long term.
This role really sits at the intersection of everything I enjoy: relationship-building, strategy, and being deeply embedded in a specialized industry. I feel most in my zone when I am connecting the dots, understanding a client’s need, knowing the right candidate, and helping bring the two together in a way that creates long-term value for both sides.
It is also simply a fun field to be part of. People are interesting, actuaries are smart, and I genuinely enjoy meeting different individuals across the profession and learning about their backgrounds, goals, and perspectives while getting to know them personally.
4. What are your favorite parts of the job?
There have been many situations where I have stayed in touch with someone for years before helping them make a move, and those are always especially rewarding. It reinforces that this is truly a long-term relationship driven business. It’s exciting seeing that come full circle, now in my new role, when those same individuals later return on the client side and trust us to help them build their own teams.
I also enjoy solving more complex hiring challenges. Not every role is straightforward, and that is where the consultative side really comes in: thinking through strategy, positioning, and how to best approach the market.
And of course, the team at DW Simpson makes a big difference. It is a collaborative environment where people genuinely care about doing high-quality work, supporting one another, and serving the actuarial community well.
5. What makes DW Simpson different?
What sets DW Simpson apart is the depth of our specialization and our long-standing reputation in the actuarial space.
Because we are fully dedicated to the actuarial field, we understand the nuances of the industry in a way that general recruiting firms simply cannot. That includes technical skillsets, credentialing paths, evolving market trends, and the broader dynamics shaping the profession. That depth of knowledge allows us to have more meaningful and informed conversations with both clients and candidates.
There is also a strong emphasis on education and partnership. Given how specialized the actuarial profession is, we serve as a resource to hiring managers and senior leaders across insurance companies and consulting firms, helping provide market insight and guide thoughtful hiring decisions. At the same time, we have the unique perspective of seeing actuaries grow and evolve throughout their careers, often across many years and through major changes and challenges in the industry.
Our approach is rooted in long-term relationships. Many members of our team have spent decades building trust within the actuarial community, and those relationships allow us to reach highly qualified individuals who may not be actively looking for a new opportunity. They also allow us to stand confidently behind the candidates we represent.
We are not simply trying to fill roles. We aim to act as an extension of our clients’ teams, helping them think strategically about their actuarial organizations, while also making sure candidates are making decisions that support their long-term growth. Having grown up around the business and now being part of it professionally, I have seen how consistent that approach has been. There is a genuine commitment to integrity, quality, and serving the actuarial community.
At the end of the day, it comes back to relationships. They are at the core of everything we do and truly what makes DW Simpson stand out.
6. What are your goals moving forward?
Looking ahead, I would like to continue deepening my client relationships and expanding my visibility and presence within the actuarial market, while further strengthening my knowledge of the actuarial marketplace.
In the short term, that means continuing to broaden our client base and strengthening partnerships where I can add strategic value, advise on hiring plans, team structure, market insight, and positioning.
Longer term, I am interested in continuing to grow as both a leader and a mentor. I am innately a very curious person, and I would love to help others develop in the same way. I find genuine joy in the work that I do and hope that I can inspire that in others.
Ultimately, I would like to be known as someone actuarial clients and candidates trust: someone who brings integrity, effectiveness, insight, consistency, and a strong understanding of the industry, and who is seen as a long-term partner of the actuarial community.
Need Support with Actuarial Hiring?
The ongoing actuarial talent shortage continues to make hiring timelines longer and competition for experienced professionals more intense. Organizations that rely on strong actuarial teams often benefit from recruiting strategies designed specifically for this niche market.
DW Simpson has decades of experience supporting actuarial staffing for insurance companies, helping organizations connect with highly qualified professionals across the actuarial spectrum.
Connect with us to start a conversation about your actuarial staffing needs.