Stepping into a new pricing leadership role comes with expectations, pressure, and very little room to get it wrong. In this episode of the PriceWriters Podcast, Jeremy and Catrin explore Lead Your Team in Your First 100 Days by Neve O’Keeffe and walk through what actually holds up in an insurance context.

They get into where pricing leaders tend to fall short early on, especially the habit of relying on technical strength instead of actually leading, and the areas that are often left too late, like dealing with performance issues or setting clear direction for the team. They also question how realistic the whole “100 days” idea really is in insurance, and why making early decisions based on gut feel or second-hand opinions about your team can set you off on the wrong path. If you’re stepping into a new role or taking on a new team, this is the kind of conversation that helps you think more clearly about what actually matters.

PriceWriters transforms pricing capability find out more at Pricewriters.com

In this episode of The Price Writers Podcast, Jeremy Keating and Catrin Townsend discuss Catrin’s book, A Risky Business, and the story behind how it came to be written. Catrin shares how the idea for the book emerged during lockdown conversations with her father while on maternity leave — and how those discussions sparked a desire to explain actuarial science and risk in a way that anyone can understand. They explore:

- Why actuarial work is more relevant to everyday life than most people realise - How the book was written (including chapters typed one-handed while holding a baby!)
- The challenge of explaining complex risk concepts without heavy maths
- How Karin structured the book to make actuarial science accessible to non-experts
- The process of pitching a book proposal and securing a publisher

This episode is perfect for actuaries, insurance professionals, students considering the career, or anyone curious about how risk is quantified and managed in society. 📚 Featured book: A Risky Business – An Actuary’s Guide to Quantifying and Managing Risk in Society 🎧 Subscribe for more episodes exploring insurance, risk, and the books shaping the profession.

In this special World Book Day episode of the Price Writers Podcast, Catrin Townsend turns the tables on Jeremy Keating to explore the story behind his award-winning book, Price Writer: Nine-Step Method to Becoming a Highly Successful General Insurance Pricing Leader.

Jeremy shares why he felt compelled to write a practical leadership book for general insurance pricing professionals, not another maths-heavy textbook, but a hands-on guide to strategy, governance, data, modelling, deployment and team capability.

They discuss:

• Why most pricing roles are far more than just technical modelling
• How the Nine-Step framework was developed (and why it couldn’t be five!)
• The challenges of writing about modelling without using equations
• Why deployment sits at the heart of pricing success
• And the responsibility pricing leaders have to real end customers

Jeremy also reveals his unusual writing process (it involves running 10Ks), reflects on the book’s global reception and awards, and shares what he would update if he were writing it today.

If you’re a pricing professional, or aspiring to lead in insurance, this episode gives you insight into the thinking behind one of the most talked-about books in the field, and how to apply its ideas in your own career.

In this episode of the Price Writers Podcast, Jeremy Keating and Karin Townsend dive into Rebooting American Healthcare by Amy Finkelstein and Liran Einav.

They explore the authors’ proposal for a universal basic level of healthcare funded by taxation, layered with optional private insurance for enhanced cover and what that could mean for insurers, regulators, and society more broadly.

From anti-selection and cross-subsidies to frontline GP access and the realities of public–private healthcare models, the discussion compares the US and UK systems, challenges common assumptions, and asks whether a better balance between state provision and private insurance is possible.

Is this a book pricing professionals should read? And what lessons does it offer for healthcare reform more widely?

Tune in for a high-level but thought-provoking look at one of the biggest policy challenges of our time.

What if being quieter actually makes you a better leader? 🤔

In the latest episode of The PriceWriters Podcast, Catrin and Jeremy discuss Quiet: The Power of Introverts and explore how workplaces, leadership expectations, and even collaboration are often designed for extroverts.

They share where they think the book gets it right, where it falls short, and what this all means for pricing professionals and leaders in insurance today 🌱

If you want to hear the conversation and our takeaways, catch the visual episode on YouTube here https://youtu.be/CytSntpOzLY or the audio version wherever you get your podcasts

#PriceWriters #PriceWritersPodcast #Introverts #GeneralInsurance

PriceWriters transforms pricing professionals into the most respected leaders in insurance.

In this episode of the Price Writer Podcast, Jeremy Keating and Catrin Townsend discuss Senior Leadership: An Essential Guide for Actuaries by Julia Lessing.

This is a leadership book designed to be worked through rather than skimmed, using practical exercises, reflections, and prompts drawn from real leadership situations. We explore what changes as you move from management into senior leadership, why leadership becomes less technical and more people-focused, and how often our stated values differ from how we actually spend our time.

The conversation also touches on the importance of thinking deeply rather than reacting quickly, and whether senior leadership is something you truly want or simply the next step you have been aiming for.

This episode is for actuaries and pricing professionals who are stepping into senior roles, aspiring to them, or already there and reflecting on how leadership works in practice.

Price Writers transforms pricing professionals into the most respected leaders in insurance.

We’re kicking off 2026 by rethinking how we set and achieve goals.

In this episode of the Price Writers Podcast, Jeremy and Catrin explore The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington, and why shorter, more focused planning cycles can be far more effective than traditional annual goals.

They discuss how compressing goal setting into 12-week periods creates urgency, clarity, and momentum, particularly in pricing teams where annual targets often arrive late and priorities shift throughout the year. Drawing on real-world experience, they explore execution versus outcome metrics, the role of review periods, and how focusing on the actions you control can lead to better results over time.

This is a thoughtful and realistic look at goal setting for pricing professionals who want progress without unnecessary pressure.

In this episode of the Price Writers Podcast, Catrin and Jeremy share their yearly book roundup. History and nonfiction to fiction that genuinely surprised them, this conversation goes well beyond a simple reading list.

They explore what reading outside technical comfort zones can offer, from perspective and empathy to slowing down and thinking differently. Along the way, they discuss standout books, unexpected favourites, and why fiction can be just as valuable for professional growth as nonfiction.

Tell us in the comments What was your standout read this year?

Listen now and subscribe for more conversations on learning, leadership, and the pricing profession.

#PriceWriters #PriceWritersPodcast #ContinuousLearning #PricingProfessionals #LeadershipDevelopment #BooksAndIdeas

Price Writers transforms pricing professionals into the most respected leaders in insurance.