As climate change has intensified and has become the new reality, its essential to analyze and evaluate its relevance to catastrophe risk.

Arunima Sarkar, our next pathbreaker, Wind-Peril Specialist at Gallagher Re, helps estimate potential losses from severe events through catastrophe modelling, that supports insurers and underwriters in deciding how much risk they can take and what coverage they can provide.

Arunima talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about how her background in Atmospheric Sciences gave her a strong foundation for her current role.

For students, a career can develop through opportunities that you did not originally plan for. You do not need to have your entire career mapped out from the beginning; you need to keep learning, and make thoughtful decisions as you go

Arunima, your Background?

I grew up in a small town in West Bengal, in a family where education and reading were very important. My mother is a homemaker and my father is a small businessman. I spent a lot of my childhood reading Bengali literature and was very much a bookworm. I also had many friends, so I was influenced by a variety of people and experiences around me.

At school, I enjoyed mathematics and was also fascinated by history. However, I had to choose between history and chemistry for my higher secondary studies because the examinations were scheduled at the same time. I was very fond of chemistry, so I chose it and eventually pursued Chemistry Honours.

Looking back, my curiosity about nature also played a role in my journey. I have always particularly enjoyed rain and being around nature. As I studied more, that curiosity gradually turned into questions about the atmosphere—how it works and how different parts of the Earth system interact.

What did you do for Graduation and Post-graduation ?

I did my BSc in Chemistry. I have an MSc in Atmospheric Sciences and an MTech in Atmospheric Sciences.

I completed my graduation with Chemistry Honours. After graduating, however, I felt that my interest in chemistry as a subject was declining and I wanted to explore something more interdisciplinary rather than remain in a traditional core subject.

I therefore moved into Atmospheric Sciences and completed both an MSc and an MTech (IIT Delhi) in the field. I particularly enjoyed learning about how the atmosphere, land and ocean interact, atmospheric circulation, different types of clouds and how precipitation forms.

The physical side of atmospheric science also involved fairly challenging mathematics, which was difficult at times but became part of the learning process. During my studies, I also had the opportunity to attend a five-day workshop at ISRO’s Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, which was a memorable academic experience.

What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and uncommon career in Catastrophe Modelling?

My move into Atmospheric Sciences was not something I had planned from childhood. I first became interested in the subject while preparing for the entrance examination for an MSc in Atmospheric Sciences. Some of the questions introduced me to ideas such as how the atmosphere influences the ocean, and I found those interdisciplinary questions interesting.

I also spoke to the Head of the department at the time, who was a prominent figure in atmospheric sciences in India and was very passionate about the subject. That conversation influenced me, and discussions with my guardians also gave me encouragement to pursue the field.

After spending a significant amount of time in academia, I knew that I did not want to continue towards a PhD and wanted to move into a job. Initially, I was looking at opportunities related to weather, including organisations such as IMD.

My first opportunity in catastrophe modelling came through a senior from IIT Delhi who was already working in the industry. He shared an opening through the IIT Delhi career department, which eventually led to my first job at Gallagher Re.

It was not a carefully planned decision to become a catastrophe modeller. I took an opportunity that connected with my atmospheric-science background, and over the years I have increasingly enjoyed the field as I have learned more about it.

How did you plan your career in Atmospheric Sciences?

I started my career at Gallagher Re, where I continue to work today as a wind-peril specialist. My work combines atmospheric science, research and analytics.

In simple terms, catastrophe models help estimate how much damage could occur at a particular location if a severe event, such as a Category 5 hurricane, were to happen. My role involves evaluating these models and understanding whether the results they produce are reasonable and moving in the right direction.

As I gained experience, I learned more about both the technical side of the work and the wider reinsurance industry. The team is relatively small and specialised, so developing expertise has been an important part of my career.

I have also worked with people from different parts of the industry, including brokers and other teams, and I have taken on increasingly varied projects. I was promoted as I progressed in the role.

My approach has largely been to keep learning: understand the science, develop programming and analytical skills, learn how the industry works, and then apply those skills to increasingly complex problems.

How did you get your 1st break?

My first break came through a professional connection. A senior from IIT Delhi was already working at the company and shared an opening with our career coordinator. My CV was forwarded, and I went through several rounds of interviews.

There was an initial HR interview, followed by a technical round with stakeholders in London. I was also given a task involving explaining my previous work and carrying out some analysis.

My background in Atmospheric Sciences was important because it gave me the subject knowledge relevant to the role. I also had programming experience in Python, and I later developed strong skills in R, which I now use extensively in my day-to-day work.

The process required preparation. I studied the basics of catastrophe modelling, reinsurance and the roles of different parts of the industry so that I could understand what I was applying for. I was extremely happy when I got the job, especially because it came at a time when I needed the opportunity most.

What were some of the challenges you faced and how did you address them?

I would not describe getting my first job as an extremely difficult challenge. In fact, I secured the job before completing my degree, which was a very positive experience.

The main challenge was preparing myself for an industry that I did not know much about. Before the interviews, I worked hard to understand what catastrophe modelling was, what a reinsurance company does, what a broker does, and how the different parts of the industry fit together.

My Atmospheric Sciences background already gave me a strong foundation for the technical side. The preparation helped me connect that academic knowledge with a completely new industry and communicate what I knew during the interview process.

One thing I learned from this is that you do not always need to know everything before entering a new field. You need to understand the basics, be willing to learn, and be able to demonstrate what you already know.

Where do you work now?

I currently work at Gallagher Re as a Wind-Peril Specialist. My work is a mixture of research and analytics.

I work for a multinational Reinsurance brokerage company where our stakeholders are business units siting in the USA and UK.

Clients are insurance companies.

I need to evaluate catastrophe models namely RMS, Verisk to help clients understand how useful the outputs from the models are.

A major part of my role is evaluating catastrophe models. These models provide estimates of potential losses from severe natural events, and we assess whether the results are reasonable and how they can be used.

The skills needed include knowledge of atmospheric variables, particularly wind-related phenomena such as tropical cyclones and extratropical windstorms; programming; and problem-solving. Most importantly, I think a willingness to learn is essential because there is a long way to go when working in a specialised field.

What’s a typical day like?

A typical day can involve running analyses to compare different model catalogues, preparing presentation slides to explain findings to stakeholders, and carrying out research. The work also requires keeping up with developments in climate science and the industry, particularly as climate change is becoming increasingly relevant to catastrophe risk.

What I enjoy most is the combination of science, programming and business. I also enjoy the research and independent problem-solving involved in the work.

How does your work benefit society?

Before and after a major natural disaster, it is important to have a reasonable understanding of the losses that could occur.

By helping estimate potential losses from severe events, catastrophe modelling supports insurers and underwriters in deciding how much risk they can take and what coverage they can provide. Better estimates can help insurers plan coverage more effectively, and after a disaster they can also support the process of assessing and paying claims.

In that way, work that may look highly technical from the outside ultimately contributes to making the financial response to natural disasters more organised and effective.

A Memorable Piece of Work that you were involved in?

One of the projects that stands out to me was work with the Fiji government, where we helped with a parametric-loss related project. It was memorable because the work had a clear real-world application and I received good recognition for my contribution.

Another highlight of the job has been the opportunity to interact with people from around the world and from many different teams. There are people working in areas such as parametric solutions, underwriting, broking and catastrophe analytics. Learning from people with different perspectives has been one of the most valuable parts of my career.

It has shown me that a career is not only about becoming technically good at one thing. You can also learn a lot by understanding how your work connects with what other people do.

Your Advice to Students?

You do not necessarily have to know exactly what career you want at a very young age. My own journey did not follow a straight line: I started with Chemistry, moved into Atmospheric Sciences, and eventually entered catastrophe modelling.

I would encourage students to explore their interests and remain curious. Reading, asking questions and trying to understand how things work can take you in directions you may not have expected.

It is also useful to build skills alongside your academic knowledge. Programming and analytical skills became very useful in my career, but the most important habit is to keep learning.

If you discover that something you chose earlier is no longer interesting to you, it is okay to change direction. A career can develop through opportunities that you did not originally plan for. You do not need to have your entire career mapped out from the beginning; you need to keep learning, recognise good opportunities, and make thoughtful decisions as you go.

Future Plans ?

I want to continue growing professionally by building on the combination of atmospheric science, analytics and programming that I have developed so far. I would like to keep learning about new developments in the science and the industry and take on work where I can use these skills to solve meaningful problems.

My career so far has taught me that interests can evolve and that opportunities can lead you in directions you did not originally expect. I would like to continue following that approach—learning, exploring and taking on new challenges as they come.