FORTY Under 40: Tara Miller
Tara Miller, principal, Milliman.
Miller provides actuarial consulting services and acts as the appointed actuary and loss reserve specialist for a broad range of clients – primarily captives domiciled in Bermuda and Vermont with parent companies worldwide.
Before joining Milliman almost ten years ago, she worked in commercial lines pricing and predictive modeling at a mid-size primary insurer. Starting her career in property and casualty commercial lines made the transition into the captive space smooth and seamless.
Miller is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, having completed all Casualty Actuarial Society examinations. She gives back to the profession through volunteer service with the CAS and the American Academy of Actuaries. She has a degree from the State University of New York at Albany with a double major in actuarial science and economics.
Looking back at your journey over the past year, what accomplishment are you most proud of, and how has becoming a FORTY Under 40 finalist influenced your perspective on that achievement?
My proudest accomplishment was being elected principal at Milliman, which has broadened my responsibilities and enabled me to lead and grow a portfolio of client engagements. In this role, I lead actuarial projects tailored to the unique needs of each market, including reserve reviews, funding and rate-making analyses, feasibility studies and simulation modeling.
Being named a FORTY Under 40 finalist reinforces that leadership is about impact, delivering outcomes and developing people. It has persuaded me to make sure to continue mentoring, collaborate with and assist with the professional development of team members and use my platform to continue to bring value-driven results to our clients.
What key challenge did you face in your work this year? How did you overcome it, and what did it teach you about leadership at this stage of your career?
A key challenge for me this year was working through a significant transition with the retirement of one of our practice’s principals. This principal put his trust in me, and I have assumed most of his client relationships while maintaining my existing portfolio. While I was already involved with most of the clients which helped with continuity, the transition required prioritisation, well-planned handovers and frequent touchpoints.
As I took over the lead on these projects, we also elevated colleagues into managerial positions on the projects to help expand capacity and provide the client with the strongest team possible. The experience reinforced that leadership at this stage is about influence, clarity and shared ownership while showing how thoughtful succession planning keeps service consistent and clients well supported.
“I’m most excited to expand my thought leadership by publishing and speaking on emerging market, regulatory, and other actuarial topics.”
In what ways have you tried to push innovation or rethink traditional approaches within your sector, and what impact has that had on your team or organisation?
In the captive space, traditional actuarial methods don’t always provide the best answer to the problem/question. I have focused on tailoring each analysis to the client’s specific risk and goals, combining their programme data with relevant external insights and stress scenarios. This leads to clearer, more actionable recommendations, stronger client confidence, smoother audit reviews and better-informed regulatory assessments of a company’s balance sheet.
How do you see your role evolving over the next three to five years, and what initiatives are you most excited to pursue as you continue to grow professionally?
Over this period, I see my role evolving from primarily executing projects to serving as a trusted adviser to clients, helping them navigate strategic priorities, growth and regulatory change.
As a principal, I also will become more involved in setting direction for our practice and for Milliman. I’ve begun to take those steps already in my new role this year. I’m most excited to help other colleagues step into bigger roles and to expand my thought leadership by publishing and speaking on emerging market, regulatory, and other actuarial topics. I’m also looking forward building out my network in Vermont to deepen local relationships while expanding Milliman’s footprint across Bermuda and other key domiciles.
Many of the FORTY Under 40 winners are recognised for both business success and broader impact – how do you balance professional excellence with contributions to your community or industry landscape?
I balance professional excellence with broader impact by aligning my service commitments with the areas where I can create the most practical value for clients and the industry. On the captive side, I serve with Vermont Captive Insurance Emerging Leaders (VCIEL), have helped coordinate sessions on the VCIA Conference Committee and take on speaking opportunities at various captive conferences.
On the actuarial side, I have previously volunteered for the CAS exam committee and contribute to the American Academy of Actuaries’ P&C committee on equity and fairness and its committee on property and liability financial reporting to advance high standards and responsible practice.
As a UNDP-GAIN mentor to a Nigerian Actuarial Society member, I was able to share my knowledge and experience with an early-career actuary, supporting exam strategy and career planning.
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