Change of leadership among Germany's actuaries: Susanna Adelhardt becomes first female DAV head

The German Actuarial Association (DAV) has elected Susanna Adelhardt, its first female president, as its chairman. The former deputy chairwoman will take over from Maximilian Happacher as chairman of the professional association of German insurance and financial mathematicians. The DAV announced this at its annual meeting in Bonn.

Jürgen Bierbaum, board member of the ALH Group, who most recently headed the Committee for Professional Issues on the DAV Board, was appointed as the new deputy chairman.

Pension planning expert

The new DAV chairwoman, Adelhardt, works full-time as chairwoman of Heubeck , a specialist in actuarial valuations and expert opinions. She is also a member of the board of IVS – Institute of Actuarial Experts for Retirement Provision.

The new chair has defined three key objectives for her two-year term:

• Strengthening volunteer commitment,
• Further development of the common value base,
• Intensification of international networking.

Adelhardt is particularly passionate about supporting young talent: "Awakening mathematical curiosity and passion at a young age – this is a key task that the DAV must address today in order to remain strong in the future," emphasizes the chairwoman. According to its own information, the association currently has 6,700 members, and the number is continuing to grow.

Focus on international challenges

Under Adelhardt's leadership, the DAV intends to become more involved in international discussions. "We will continue to contribute our expertise institutionally and personally to international discussions and represent our positions," said the new chairwoman, referring to European and global developments.

Actuaries are currently focusing on topics such as the revision of the Solvency II supervisory system, the implementation of IORP II, the implementation of IFRS 17, and the impact of the EU AI Act. Value for money, IRRD, the consequences of the FIDA regulation, and the effects of climate change are also on the agenda.

As the first woman to head the DAV, Adelhardt also sees her position as a signal for greater diversity: "It is important to me that the very balanced ratio of male and female actuarial graduates among our younger members is increasingly reflected in our committees." The new chairwoman hopes to serve as a kind of "role model" for even greater participation of women in voluntary work.

With the change in leadership, Herbert Schneidemann is now stepping down from the Executive Board as scheduled. The former chairman served on the Executive Board for six years, including during the coronavirus pandemic.

About the German Actuarial Association

The German Actuarial Association is the professional association of actuaries in Germany. As insurance and financial mathematicians, they play a central role in risk analysis and assessment in insurance companies, pension funds, and other financial institutions.