Anthony Asher

Anthony Asher is an actuary well known for his interest in ethics in professional life, particularly the social impact of actuarial work.

On the one hand this has led to product development, where benefits (and underlying investments) match the particular needs of the bereaved, the disabled and the elderly. On the other hand it has led to questions of professional education and regulation that support the development of judgement and justice. His current research includes various issues in financial planning, and a virtue theory approach to risk culture and overregulation.

Living in Australia from 2003, he first served three years in the policy and research division of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and then five as a consulting actuary with Deloitte. He joined the University of New South Wales in mid 2011, and took voluntary redundancy in 2020. He was elected to the Actuaries Institute Council.

Prior to that, he was the Professor of Actuarial Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for 14 years. He also served as non-executive director on the board of a life insurer, retirement fund, unit trust management company and micro-lender - serving as chairman of the last three. Before that he worked for in life insurance, culminating with four years as Chief Actuary of the Prudential Assurance Company of South Africa, and a member of its senior management, board and investment committees.

His service to the actuarial profession, and on a variety of government advisory committees and enquiries, was rewarded by the Murray Medal, the highest award for service given by the Actuarial Society of South Africa, in 2002.

As a consultant and researcher, he has worked on a variety of issues relating actuarial aspects of accounting, capital management, investment, social security and superannuation issues, often from the perspective of social justice.​​​