We are pleased to announce that Dr Heidi Llanwarne, Interdisciplinary Research Fellow at The Pearl, has been appointed to the International Actuarial Association (IAA) Task Force on Catastrophe Modelling.
Catastrophe models are a cornerstone of how insurers, reinsurers and financial institutions understand and manage the risks posed by extreme events such as floods, storms and heatwaves. Many of these models, however, rely heavily on historical data, which may no longer provide a reliable guide in the context of a rapidly changing climate. This creates increasing difficulties for actuaries working across a wide range of areas, including enterprise risk management, pricing, capital and reserving, regulation, and climate‑related sustainability reporting.
The newly established IAA Task Force aims to respond to these challenges by exploring how catastrophe models are being adapted to account for climate risk and by improving how their results are interpreted and communicated. Over its 18‑month programme, the Task Force will produce practical, vendor‑neutral guidance and educational resources to support actuaries worldwide in using catastrophe models with confidence and transparency. Its work will involve close engagement with modelling vendors, practitioners, national actuarial associations, financial services regulators and other international stakeholders, alongside webinars and wider outreach activities.
Heidi brings a wealth of experience at the interface between climate science, actuarial practice and public policy. She has more than 15 years’ post‑qualification experience as an actuary, with a background spanning insurance regulation, flood risk management and climate‑related financial risk. Her career includes contributions to the development of Flood Re in the UK and the review of financial models supporting sovereign climate risk insurance initiatives in Africa. At The Pearl, her research focuses on climate risk and the science-policy interface, making her expertise particularly well suited to the aims of the Task Force.
This appointment reflects both Heidi’s leadership in this field and The Pearl’s wider commitment to connecting climate science with decision‑making and financial risk management. We look forward to sharing updates and insights from the Task Force’s work as it develops.
Further information
- Read more about the IAA Task Force on Catastrophe Modelling: IAA News Brief (February 2026)
- Learn more about Dr Heidi Llanwarne: The Pearl – Heidi Llanwarne