Senan O’Loughlin is RGA’s Executive President and Head of Americas, overseeing the company’s business lines across North and South America. He recently sat down with Authority Magazine’s Rachel Kline for this interview, originally posted on the magazine’s website.
The insurance industry plays a vital role in providing security and peace of mind to individuals and businesses. Building a successful career in this field requires a combination of technical knowledge, customer-focused skills, and strategic vision.
Senan O’Loughlin is Executive President, Head of Americas at RGA, where he oversees the company’s business lines across North and South America and leads the region’s strategy, client partnerships, product innovation, capital deployment, and operational execution. A member of RGA’s Executive Committee, he joined the company in 2021 and previously served as Head of U.S. Mortality Markets and Head of U.S. Individual Markets. With more than 30 years of insurance and reinsurance industry experience spanning North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Senan has held senior leadership roles at Swiss Re and AIG-AIA and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Actuaries (UK) and the Society of Actuaries of Ireland.
He recently provided his thoughts in this interview with Authority Magazine.1
My career certainly wasn’t the result of some grand plan. A guidance counselor introduced me to a profession I’d never heard of: actuarial science. What surprised me was how quickly I enjoyed both the work and the environment. I went from being a teenager in school to working alongside people in their twenties, thirties, and beyond. I quickly realized that being good at mathematics didn’t mean you knew everything. Success required learning from others, collaborating, and appreciating different perspectives. This early lesson shaped my entire career. The industry gave me opportunities to work across multiple countries and cultures, and every step reinforced the importance of relationships, teamwork, and continuous adaptability.
One lesson I’ve learned throughout my career is that seemingly small decisions have an outsized impact on where life takes you. More than 20 years ago, I made the decision to leave Ireland and take a role in Asia. At the time, it didn’t feel like a life-changing move. I simply wanted to experience working in a different part of the world, and I assumed it would be a relatively short chapter before eventually returning home. Instead, that decision completely changed the trajectory of my career.
Looking back, that move opened doors I never could have anticipated. It broadened my perspective, exposed me to different markets and cultures, and created opportunities that eventually led me to roles around the world, including my current position with RGA. What seemed like a single career move ended up influencing every opportunity that followed.
This taught me that careers rarely follow a straight line. Often, the opportunities that have the greatest impact are the ones that feel uncertain at the time. If you’re willing to take thoughtful risks and remain open to new experiences, you may find yourself in places you never imagined possible.
Early in my career, I was responsible for helping develop a special insurance promotion. After all the calculations had been completed and distributed, a colleague tried to recreate my work and couldn’t get the numbers to match. As I sat nearby listening to the discussion, I suddenly realized why: I had made an error in my calculations. I had to raise my hand and admit that the problem was mine. As a young professional, it felt like a career-ending moment.
What happened next taught me a lesson I’d never forget. My senior leader calmly asked me what had happened, whether I understood the mistake, and whether I could fix it. When I said yes, he simply told me to correct it and move forward. He also reminded me that the organization had placed me under significant pressure and that leadership shared responsibility for the outcome.
That experience taught me two things: First, everyone makes mistakes. Second, great leaders don’t focus on blame. They focus on learning, accountability, and helping people grow.
I’ve tried to carry that lesson with me throughout my own leadership journey.
My entry into the industry was quite accidental. When I was in school in Ireland, a career counselor suggested I look into becoming an actuary because I enjoyed mathematics and science. I interviewed for a trainee actuary role at age 17 and thought I’d give it a try for a year before deciding whether to go to college. More than 30 years later, I’m still here.
What kept me in the industry wasn’t just the work; it was the people.
From the very beginning, I was surrounded by smart, generous colleagues who were willing to teach, support, and collaborate. Over the years, I’ve found these to be some of the defining characteristics of the insurance industry. There is an extraordinary willingness among people to help one another succeed.
My driving force has evolved over time, but it comes back to two things: curiosity and purpose. I’m genuinely interested in how our industry and business navigate uncertainty, and I’ve always been drawn to work that connects technical expertise with real-world outcomes. When you recognize the impact insurance and reinsurance play in helping people, businesses, and communities manage risk and build resilience, it’s easier to see the deeper purpose behind the work. That sense of purpose has helped keep me motivated, engaged, and committed throughout my long career.
I think staying informed starts with curiosity. I try to stay curious about how new technologies, consumer behaviors, and societal changes are affecting people’s lives, and then consider what those changes might mean for our industry.
Just as important is listening. I spend a lot of time listening to clients, colleagues, regulators, industry stakeholders, and market participants. Those conversations help me identify patterns and consider whether a trend emerging in one area may also be taking shape elsewhere.
I also believe in testing ideas through dialogue. Having a point of view is useful, but being willing to challenge and refine that view through conversation is what helps people continue learning and adapting.
I’ve never viewed relationship-building as a strategy so much as a mindset. Relationships are built through trust, honesty, and genuine human connection.
One thing I’ve learned is to take time to get to know people beyond the transaction at hand. Whether it’s discussing business, family, travel, or even the weather, those conversations help establish trust and understanding.
I’ve also always believed in being transparent and assuming positive intent. People generally respond well when they’re trusted, informed, and treated with respect. Once that foundation exists, it’s much easier to have challenging conversations, solve problems together, and strengthen relationships over time.
One of the recurring challenges in insurance and reinsurance is adapting when reality doesn’t unfold as anticipated and having to navigate unexpected change. Throughout my career, I’ve experienced multiple situations where market conditions, economic events, or emerging trends required organizations to rethink assumptions and adjust their approach.
What I’ve learned is these challenges can rarely be solved from a single perspective. The best solutions almost always come from bringing together people with different expertise — actuaries, underwriters, sales professionals, operations leaders, and clients. I’ve also learned that transparency matters. When organizations work collaboratively with clients, openly acknowledge challenges, and focus on solving problems together, relationships often emerge stronger than they were before. Trust is built during difficult periods, not easy ones.
It’s essential. Looking back over more than 30 years in the industry, many of the opportunities that shaped my career required skills, experiences, and perspectives I didn’t have when I started. The willingness to stay curious and keep learning is what helps people adapt to change, recognize new opportunities, and continue growing throughout their careers.
For me, continuous learning has never been limited to technical knowledge. Some of the most valuable lessons came from working in different markets, collaborating with people from different backgrounds, and being exposed to new ways of thinking. Every role, every move, and every challenge presented an opportunity to learn something new.
I’ve never viewed those goals as being in conflict with one another.
The best client relationships create value for both sides. The key is clarity. Clients should understand what we can offer, what we are trying to achieve, and why a particular partnership makes sense.
When expectations are clearly defined, it becomes much easier to identify opportunities that support both the client’s objectives and the organization’s goals.
I’ve found that the strongest partnerships are built when both parties are transparent about what success looks like. That approach shifts the conversation from a transaction mindset to a collaborative one, where everyone benefits from a successful outcome.
Stay open-minded, build relationships, and seek out people who can help guide your development. Some of the most important opportunities in my career came from conversations, relationships, and the willingness to take a chance on something unfamiliar.
I would also encourage young professionals to think globally. Insurance is a truly international industry, and there are opportunities to work across different markets, cultures, and regions.
Those experiences can broaden your perspective and accelerate both personal and professional growth. Most importantly, don’t assume you need to have everything figured out at the beginning. Careers are built one decision at a time.
I would encourage a movement built around kindness, grace, and assuming positive intent. We live in a world that can sometimes be quick to judge and slow to understand.
I’ve learned that most people are doing their best, even when they make mistakes. If we started conversations by assuming good intentions and approaching one another with a little more patience, humor, and empathy, we’d solve more problems and build stronger relationships. Whether in business or everyday life, a little kindness tends to go a long way.
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