Michael Sherris is Emeritus Professor in the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies. He was Head of Actuarial Studies at UNSW until 2010 having been appointed to UNSW in 1998 to establish the Actuarial Studies program. Before joining UNSW, he was an Associate Professor in Actuarial Studies at Macquarie University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, the Institute of Actuaries (UK) and the Society of Actuaries (North America). After retirement, he continues his involvement in research, student supervision and mentoring of early career researchers, particularly through the Centre of Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), where he is a Lead Investigator.

Prior to becoming an academic he worked in the banking and finance industry for a number of major banks and a life insurance company. He has been an active member of the Australian actuarial profession having served on the Council of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. He has previously been actively involved in course development for the Finance and Investment Management courses of the Institute, and served as a Chief Examiner for the Finance course and an examiner for the Investment and General Insurance courses. He served as an Associate Editor of the North American Actuarial Journal from 1997 to 2004 and was an Associate Editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, Associate Editor of the Annals of Actuarial Science and a Co-Editor of the North American Actuarial Journal. He was also a co-editor of the Springer Actuarial Series. He was President (2008-2009) of the Asia Pacific Risk and Insurance Association and a Board and Executive Member of the Enterprise Risk Management Institute International (ERMII). He was Chair of the AFIR-ERM Section of the International Actuarial Association and served on the International Actuarial Association's Mortality Working Group.