Shaun Burger Smal is an Open Book

About this episode

Shaun Burger Smal discusses his journey and insights on failure, mentorship, and the responsibilities of his role at the Road Accident Fund.

In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with Shaun Burger Smal — qualified actuary and Acting Chief Investment Officer at the Road Accident Fund — for a candid conversation about failure, fellowship, fairy tales and the very human side of the Road Accident Fund. Shuan shares his journey from roles in Big 4 consulting, Netcare, Momentum Health to public sector leadership, where he now oversees complex loss-of-earnings valuations that materially impact people’s lives. He reflects on the very serious responsibilities of his role, while maintaining an upbeat and positive attitude that infiltrates his work and the way he runs his team. This balance of care and passion is what helps him effectively explain technical concepts to boards and Parliament, and ensure that every valuation is both rigorous and ethical. He also speaks openly about failing exams on his Fellowship journey and how those setbacks shaped his commitment to supporting students. Through exam counselling and mentorship, he helps actuarial and university students separate identity from results, strengthen exam technique, and build resilience after failure. His message is clear: growth happens long before…

People in this episode

Host: Pamela Hellig

Guest: Shaun Burger Smal

Topics covered

• failure
• mentorship
• actuarial science
• public sector leadership
• personal growth

Keywords

• actuary
• investment
• failure
• mentorship
• public sector
• Road Accident Fund
• exam counselling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Road Accident Fund, Big 4 consulting, Netcare, Momentum Health

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