What is my greatest passion in my work?

My greatest passion is making a difference in the world. My parents taught me from an early age to care about social outcomes and the communities around me. They gave me the foundations for understanding politics, government and, most importantly, the difference that people can make when they care about others. That has stayed with me throughout my career. In every job I have had, there has always been a question at the core of what I do: “How can I make this better?” For me, work is ultimately about contribution – finding ways to improve systems, create better outcomes and leave things a little better than I found them.

What is my greatest fear?

My greatest fear is imposter syndrome – that nagging feeling that I’m not capable enough, or not smart enough, to take on the things I do. I’ve carried that doubt with me for a long time. Some of it comes from school, when I was told I wasn’t smart enough. Even though I have gone on to do things that once seemed unimaginable, that old voice can still linger. Sometimes I still question whether I’m really capable of tackling the challenges I take on. But perhaps the lesson is that being capable doesn’t mean never doubting yourself. It means having the courage to keep going despite the doubt.

What do I love most about my work?

What I love most about my work is understanding the problem through evidence. Data has always been my companion in building a case for change and, ultimately, compelling people to act. I love digging into the evidence, understanding what the numbers are telling us and using that knowledge to challenge assumptions and find better solutions. But my background in sociology means I never see data as just numbers. I look for the human stories behind the data. I’m always asking: What does this really mean for people? What is happening in their lives that the numbers might not be telling us? For me, the real power comes from bringing the two together – the evidence tells us what is happening; the human story helps us understand why it matters.

What is my greatest pitfall?

My greatest pitfall is attachment. I care deeply about the outcomes of the work I do. I can become very invested in getting things right and in making sure that decisions lead to better outcomes for people and communities. Sometimes, I care too much. I have literally cried over policy decisions because I felt so strongly about their consequences. The challenge for me is learning to hold that passion without letting my attachment to the outcome cloud my judgement. I’m learning that I can care deeply, while still stepping back, looking at the evidence and accepting that sometimes the outcome is beyond my control.

What does the statement “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

To me, passion is something that lives within us. It isn’t limited by age, a job or a particular stage of life. When you are truly passionate about something, it compels you to act. It makes you want to contribute, to lead by example and to make a difference. Whether your passion is for the environment, a cause, your community or simply making things better, there is no expiry date on passion. We may retire from a job, but we don’t retire from who we are, what we care about or our desire to contribute

What would I like to change about myself?

Ahhh… I’d like to be less intense and a little more detached. I care deeply about what I do, and sometimes I can become so invested that I carry things with me long after I should let them go. I’d like to learn to step back, breathe and not feel that everything has to matter quite so much, all of the time. But there is one thing I would never change about myself: my curiosity.

What is my greatest professional achievement so far?

My greatest professional achievements are probably the NSW Whole of Government Strategy in 2011, the NSW AI Strategy in 2019, and now my PhD. They may seem like very different things, but there is a common thread: seeing what is coming, understanding complex problems and trying to shape a better future. The Whole of Government Strategy was about changing how government worked together.

The AI Strategy was about preparing government and the community for a technology that was going to fundamentally change how we live and work. And now, my PhD is asking a question that matters deeply to me: Can we predict retirement insecurity early enough to change the trajectory? For me, achievement isn’t simply about what I have delivered. It is about seeing an opportunity for change and having the courage and persistence to pursue it.

Where would I most like to live and work?

I love living in Marrickville. I love the cafés, restaurants, community spaces and, most of all, the diversity. It feels vibrant, creative and genuinely connected to the people who live there. But eventually, I love the idea of travelling Australia in a caravan – seeing more of this extraordinary country, meeting people and experiencing places beyond the cities. Perhaps the perfect answer is having a home base I love and the freedom to explore.

What is my most distinctive characteristic?

Passion. I care deeply, I ask questions, I challenge assumptions and I’m not particularly good at sitting quietly when I think something could be better. I’m a force to be reckoned with – a disruptor, but always for a purpose: to make the world a little better.

What is the place outside my home where I get my best ideas?

In nature. In summer, you’ll find me at the beach, reading and soaking up the smell of salt, sand and coconut oil. There is something about being near the ocean that clears my head and lets ideas surface. At the moment, my second home is O3 Study in Newtown – a beautiful space where people come to read, study or socialise. It’s in the old Gould Bookstore and has retained the beautiful architecture and the feeling of being surrounded by books. I love places that give you permission to slow down, think and be curious. Perhaps that’s where my best ideas come from – space, people, books and a little bit of salt air.

Which books have influenced my life and how?

Two books have had a particularly profound influence on my life. Think on These Things by Jiddu Krishnamurti taught me the importance of noticing the small things – the world around us, nature and our place within it. It has influenced the way I try to slow down, observe and remain curious about the world rather than simply rushing through it. Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch explores a conversation with the divine and, for me, raises profound questions about our relationship with ourselves, with others and with nature. Its central idea of interconnectedness has stayed with me – that we are not separate from the world around us, but part of something much larger. Both books have reinforced something I deeply believe: we are connected to each other and to the world we inhabit, and how we live our lives matters.

“You Only Die Once” – what music would I like to listen to on my last day?

“Volare.” It was my mum’s favourite song, and it brings back memories of so many beautiful times together – singing it with my mum and my children. If I could choose the music for my last day, I’d want something that takes me straight back to those moments: family, laughter, love and the joy of being together. So it would have to be Volare – because it would remind me of the people I love and a lifetime of memories that I would carry with me to the very end.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

Robin Hood -the rebel with a cause. I admire Robin Hood because he had the courage to seek justice over obedience. He saw an unfair system, refused to simply accept the status quo and stood up for people who had been disadvantaged by it. What fascinates me most is that he didn’t try to reform or overthrow the system from within. He found a way to work around it -challenging its rules when those rules produced unjust outcomes and redistributing resources to those who needed them. For me, Robin Hood represents the courage to question systems, challenge assumptions and act when something is fundamentally unfair.

Who are my real-life heroes and heroines?

My real-life heroes are my parents, Teresa Croce and Livio Benedetti, and David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens, the recipients of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. My parents were incredible people who used their lived experience as migrants to improve the system for others. My dad, Livio, fought for and helped secure a dual pension agreement between Australia and Italy, which began with Italy and has since grown into agreements covering many countries. He showed me that one person can identify an unfairness in a system and fight to change it. I also admire Card, Angrist and Imbens because they demonstrated the power of evidence to challenge long-held assumptions. Their work showed that economics cannot simply rely on what we think should happen; we need to test what actually happens in the real world. That idea is incredibly important to my PhD. Traditional retirement models can make life look relatively linear and predictable, but real lives are messy. People experience redundancy, divorce, caring responsibilities, interrupted employment, housing insecurity and other life-course events that can fundamentally change their retirement trajectory. My heroes have taught me something I carry into my own work: question the system, follow the evidence and never assume that the way things have always been done is the way they have to remain.

Which film would I recommend everyone to watch at least once in their lifetime?

As Good as It Gets. It’s a real cacophony of life’s challenges – messy, funny, painful and unexpectedly beautiful. What I love about it is the way it captures how imperfectly we navigate life. We don’t always get it right, and people can surprise us, change us and challenge the way we see the world
For me, it’s a reminder that life rarely unfolds as we expect, but how we respond to it can change everything.

What does the statement “I am the storyteller of my own life” mean to me?

To me, it means that I have a role in shaping the life I create. We create the reality we step into. The words we use, the choices we make and the actions we take all influence how we navigate the inevitable challenges and opportunities that come our way. It is a reminder that while we cannot control everything that happens to us, we can influence the story we tell about it and what we choose to do next.

What role do stories play in my life and work?

Stories are the anchor. This is particularly important to me now as a PhD researcher in finance. I work with large amounts of data that can appear certain, objective and clear.

But without the human story behind the numbers, the data can become meaningless. For me, storytelling is about humanising the data – putting a face, a life and lived experience behind the numbers. Data can tell us what is happening. Stories help us understand why it matters, who it affects and what we should do about it. That is where I see the real power of bringing data and storytelling together – using evidence to understand the problem, and stories to make us care enough to act.

Which project am I most looking forward to?

The project I am most looking forward to is delivering my PhD and answering a question I believe really matters: Can we predict the risk of retirement insecurity early enough to change the outcome? I want to identify the early warning signals in a person’s life – changes in employment, income, housing, caring responsibilities and other life events – that can alter their future retirement trajectory. But the goal is bigger than simply predicting risk.

I want to know whether we can see the warning signs early enough to intervene, change the trajectory and give people a better chance of reaching a secure retirement.

Alongside my PhD, I’m also passionate about PrimeLife Partners, which I co- founded to help organisations understand and respond to the opportunities and challenges of the Longevity Economy. They are separate projects, but both reflect what drives me: understanding complex problems, challenging the status quo and finding ways to create better outcomes. For me, the promise of my PhD is ultimately about moving from predicting retirement insecurity to preventing it.

Who would I like Peter to invite to tell their Passion Never Retires story?

I’d love Peter to invite Dr Abby Bloom and Dr Kathy Eager to tell their “Passion Never Retires” stories. Both are incredible women who continue to make a meaningful contribution through their knowledge, experience and passion. They are great examples of how purpose doesn’t have to stop at a particular age or career stage – it can evolve, grow and become even more powerful over time.
Their stories would be a wonderful reminder that our experience is not something we retire from; it is something we can continue to use to make a difference.

How can people contact me?
annie@primelifepartners.com