At AEGIS London we take pride in everyone’s contributions, professionalism and achievements. Today we are celebrating one of three very talented colleagues who have been shortlisted for the 2025 Women In Insurance Awards.
Believe that you deserve a place at the table.
Grace Hymas, Actuary at AEGIS London
When I completed my Master’s in Physics at UCL in 2020 specialising in machine learning, I didn’t imagine I would find myself in the insurance industry. I kept an open mind about my first role and explored a range of industries, soon realising that the maths behind actuarial science and physics might just be similar enough for it to be a good fit.
I started my career at Cincinnati, where I was lucky to work in a small team who trusted me immediately and threw me straight in the deep end of traditional actuarial work. In 2023 I moved to AEGIS London to explore more opportunities to innovate in data science.
Relentless about improvements
When I first joined AEGIS London, much of the work in the team was still being done in Excel. I’ve always been motivated to make processes smoother, so I began writing code to automate repetitive tasks. In some cases, what once took two days of manual spreadsheet work can now be done in just an hour.
Making changes within any business can be challenging. Being a proud Innovation Champion at AEGIS London has taught me that it takes listening to many points of view to reach the collective goal. For me, innovation isn’t just about the technology itself, it’s about communication. Getting buy-in from the business is often the hardest part, but when you can explain the commercial value of what you’re doing and people really engage with it, that’s when your work really comes to life.
The power of sponsorship
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since joining AEGIS London is how much of a difference a supportive manager can make. From day one, my boss took an interest in what I wanted to achieve and helped create opportunities. She made sure I was in the right rooms, involved in the right projects, and had a seat at the table. That sponsorship has shaped my career more than I could have anticipated.
Bringing machine learning into reserving
At AEGIS London, I’ve had the opportunity to spearhead a project that few others in the market are doing - developing a machine learning algorithm to automate reserving. Working closely with the data science team to create a system that effectively acts as an 'actuary in a box’ has meant that reports that used to take days can now be generated end-to-end in two hours.
This doesn’t replace actuaries, it frees them up. Instead of spending time on routine reporting, they can focus on interpreting the insights and addressing challenges. In a changing market, being able to identify what’s driving results and respond quickly is invaluable.
In the future my goal is to experiment with neural networks to uncover correlations between classes and across lines of business. And because AI can feel like a “black box” to many, I’ve made it a priority to share our progress through presentations and updates, helping colleagues see the value of what we’re doing.
Finding my path
When I joined AEGIS London, I often felt that worrying about what others might think held me back. I am lucky to have had a great team around me who have helped me have the confidence that my work has real value, and this combined with seeing feedback as an asset has been key to integrating projects into the business.
Now, I focus on building lasting relationships and staying curious. I think if you follow what you find interesting and stay excited about the possibilities, Mondays don’t look so bad!
Grace Hymas is finalist in the categories 'Digital Champion of the Year' and 'Trailblazer of the Year' at the 2025 Women In Insurance Awards.