Meet our graduates

Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Statistics and Bachelor of Commerce (Economics)

I started off in a graduate role within the Risk Management at Westpac. Currently, I work as an Actuarial Analyst for Lumley General Insurance in their Risk Services team. The purpose of the Risk Services team is to ensure that Lumley retains the right level of underwriting risk for the right price. The Risk Services team achieves this objective through the provision of analysis and advice on pricing and underwriting strategy, and through the management of reinsurance arrangements and relationships. We use statistical models built from insurance experience and other external information to provide the business with advice on pricing, performance and risk exposure.

The thing I enjoy the most about statistics is having the tools to solve almost any problem, and being able to communicate those answers to a wider audience; I think being a problem-solver and having a tendency to take on challenges are the personality traits that synergise well with statistics.

To do well in this sort of study and this sort of job, you need to be well-rounded; I think ideally you should have a balance of mathematical and English skills. You need to be comfortable with numbers, report writing and coding. An interest in macroeconomics probably wouldn't go astray either.

The statistics papers I took were:
STATS108, STATS150, STATS208, STATS210, STATS255, STATS301, STATS302, STATS326, STATS330, STATS351, STATS370, STATS380, STATS702, STATS732, STATS747, STATS780, STATS781A, STATS781B, STATS783, STATS784

Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance, Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Statistics

My primary responsibility is calculating and setting interest rates for the AUD and NZD. This is achieved by looking at things like pricing models, the economics that drive financial markets and risk management. I then analyse all the data and predict how movements in interest rates will affect our profits.

I would recommend studying statistics in conjunction with other courses as it can be applied to nearly any industry that is of interest to you. When combined with other areas of expertise statistics is a very powerful tool which will open up a wide range of job opportunities.

The statistics papers I took were:
STATS108, STATS208, STATS210, STATS255*, STATS300*, STATS310, STATS320, STATS325, STATS370, STATS702, STATS723, STATS783
*I received transfer credits for these papers which I studied at an overseas university.

Bachelor of Science (Hons), PhD

As a senior manager in customer intelligence at Westpac I lead a team that uses data mining and analysis to gain insights and in-depth knowledge of our customers. This involves monitoring and understanding what drives customers to the bank and how we can retain their business.

An in-depth understanding of statistics is vital to my role at Westpac. The skills I gained at The University of Auckland are highly sought after in the banking and financial sectors. The research and problem-solving techniques I gained have helped me to adapt to new problems easily. As a result I have a solid foundation of knowledge on which to build my career.
 

PhD in Statistics

As a statistician at research and development company Harmonic, my key responsibilities are to develop and maintain the lifecycle-management solutions which we have designed for Telecommunications Networks. This involves analysing data, linear programming, modelling, advanced computer programming and project design.
My degree gave me a solid background in the understanding of statistics, improved my research and problem solving skills and taught me to work independently.

I found the lecturers in the Department of Statistics to be professional and very knowledgeable. The facilities are world class and overall the support I got from the department was superb. I would mention to anyone thinking about studying statistics that there is an increasing demand for statisticians worldwide. For me it has been a good career choice.
 

Bachelor of Science with first class honours in Statistics

I provide data analysis for the plant and food scientists at the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. This involves designing statistical experiments for research, analysing and interpreting the data, summarising the results and making suggestions to the scientists based on my findings. The institute is involved in groundbreaking scientific research and has a real need for people with scientific data-analysis skills.
 

Bachelor of Science with majors in Statistics and Operations Research, Masters in Statistics

I am currently a Senior Modelling Analyst in the Modelling Team within the Credit Risk Management department of ASB Bank. My role is very heavily involved in statistics, mainly building advanced statistical models for the bank. Formerly, I was a Segmentation and Modelling Analyst at Yellow™ Pages where my role was to identify key opportunities for Yellow™ Pages by developing statistical models that support their marketing plans, as well as providing customer profiles and product and market analysis.

My Postgraduate degree from The University of Auckland has given me an advantage over my competition in the employment market. Equipped with the cutting edge statistical modelling skills and data mining techniques that employers are desperately in need of, I found I was highly sought after in the job market. There are plenty of job opportunities out there for postgraduate statistic graduates, as these days every industry needs a statistician.

Bachelor of Science (Hons), Master of Science

Statistics was a natural choice for me. I’m fascinated by the magic of numbers and working with them is like a game. I enjoy using my statistical knowledge and skills to answer practical questions. It’s really satisfying to convert mathematical problems into solutions that can be used and understood by anyone.

All organisations, from private companies to government departments, use statistics in some form so there are many career opportunities for statistics graduates.

I chose The University of Auckland as it is one of the top 100 universities in the world and would recommend studying statistics at the university. The academic staff are very supportive and the teaching resources are excellent. The courses are practical and students apply all the theory they learn to real-life situations.

After graduating, I joined New Zealand’s largest life insurance company, Sovereign, as an Actuarial Analyst. Actuaries are at the heart of an insurance company and are crucial to its profitability and success. They have diverse roles, which include creating new products, setting customer premiums, tracking claims trends and evaluating performance. I work in financial reporting, examining profitability and performance to help the company make the best financial decisions. I love the variety in my job as I work on a wide range of projects and no day is the same.

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education

In order to become a secondary school teacher I was required to have a specialised area of knowledge. I chose statistics because I believe regardless of your career path, it is one of the most widely applicable and useful subjects.

I always encourage my students that whatever their chosen area of study is, they should also continue to further their studies of statistics at tertiary level. Statistics is an excellent 2nd major or minor to help keep their career options open and it provides them with an advantage in today’s competitive job market.

For me, the lecturers were approachable, open to discussion and always encouraging. Their manner of teaching was cutting edge and they were always looking at better ways of engaging students.

Diploma in Statistics, MA in Mathematics (Auckland), MBA (Harvard)

Lovina McMurchy is the General Manager for the Consumer and Online division at Microsoft Latin America. She is responsible for marketing for PC, phone and online services and also for the advertising sales organization in the region. Prior to Microsoft, Lovina was the Director of Venture Development at Starbucks Coffee Company where she helped led the company’s growth strategy including bringing high speed internet connections to Starbucks stores globally. Before Starbucks, Lovina worked for Vodafone (New Zealand) where she led pricing strategy and customer loyalty programs.

Lovina has a MBA from Harvard Business School and a MA in Mathematics from the University of Auckland where she won a prize for Top Statistics Masters Student in New Zealand. “In my career I have moved across many functions including sales, marketing, business development and operations. The two indispensible things I have carried across all of these roles have been communications skills and applied quantitative thinking. My time at the Statistics department has proved an extremely strong foundation to my career."

Bachelor of Science (Statistics and Biological Sciences)

Margaret graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2010, majoring in Statistics and Biological Sciences. She is now working as an actuarial support analyst at Vero Insurance and training to become an actuary, a specialist in the mathematics of risk.

A highlight of Margaret’s degree was her summer scholarship project, in which she analysed pigeon tracks to test whether the birds were using magnetic field lines to navigate. The success of her summer project helped her into her career and gave her analytical skills that she still uses in her daily work.
 

Deborah Donnell, MA (Auckland), PhD (Washington)

Why did you choose to study Statistics?

I followed my talents in Math throughout my undergraduate years, and I remember asking for advice from Professor Seber about "What jobs could you get if you were good at Maths". His response was to try Statistics; I've never looked back.

How do you use Statistics in your work?

I am a biostatistician engaged in the design and analysis of clinical trials: statistical thinking and analysis are the front and center in my daily work.

What do you enjoy about your work?

What is most satisfying is that my statistical knowledge makes a difference: I work with clinicians, laboratory experts and epidemiologists and help them use data to inform their opinions and guide their decision making with good applied analysis. Many people are intimidated by Statistics: helping them make sense of estimates, understand how their data can be used to answer questions and helping with interpretation of results is just very satisfying.

What it is like working in the USA?

The people around me work very hard, as do I, but understand and value balance in life, especially the importance of family. I work in the public health sector, and one advantage of working in the US is the resources available to carry out clinical trials in a truly rigorous way. This leads to working in an environment where you genuinely feel that you can make a difference. Conversely, a close American friend now working in New Zealand stated that he loves how New Zealanders "make do with the resources they have".

Describe your career path to date.

I completed a PhD in the US, married an American and we then lived in New Zealand for 3 years. Returned to the US, primarily for family reasons, and worked first for a statistical software company, and then switched to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, my current employer of the last 15+ years. In my position here I have progressed from analyst, through various management and leadership positions to my current role as Principal Investigator of the HIV Prevention Trials Network, a National Institutes of Health’s funded research network.

What was your study experience in our Statistics department like?

I certainly received a firm mathematical foundation for my later doctoral training which gave me a security in my coursework that others did not have the benefit of.

Any memorable experiences in The University of Auckland?

I was fortunate enough to participate very actively in the choral tradition at the University, which led to membership in the National Youth Choir: quite an unforgettable experience.

What would you encourage students to do in terms of their study and their career preparation?

Make sure you spend the time to truly master the mathematical foundations. But remember that statistics is first and foremost an applied field: if you are a good communicator, enjoy working with people, are credited with uncommon good sense and have a talent for mathematics you can look forward to many exciting career opportunities.

Charlotte Wickham, BSc (Hons) Auckland, PhD student in Statistics at UC Berkeley.

Please describe your PhD work at UC Berkeley.

My PhD thesis was focussed on ways to statistically model the movements of whale sharks, but my PhD studies were much more than just whale sharks! I worked with photos of a beach, telescopic images of supernovae, eye tracking data, gamma rays from pulsars and global surface temperatures.

What do you enjoy about doing statistical work?

I love not being confined to any one box of science. There is so much fascinating research going on and always a way for a statistician to contribute.

Why did you decide to include Statistics in your degree?

I loved the applied nature of statistics and the artist in me loved that I got to spend time making cool graphs!

How did the Department of Statistics prepare you for your PhD using statistics?

The range of applied statistics courses offered at The University of Auckland is phenomenal and gave me a huge advantage in my higher studies. Having seen all amazing things you can achieve with statistics I was very motivated to dig deeper and understand the nuts and bolts.

Why is Statistics such a useful subject to have when you are looking for a job?

Data are everywhere! If you know how to take data and turn it into knowledge you are invaluable in any field.

If secondary school students asked you what personal and academic attributes it takes to succeed in study like yours and a job like yours, what would you tell them?

You have to be curious, you have to love asking questions and really love answering them. If you like Maths, Programming and Visual Design, Statistics is a great way to combine them.