The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science mourn the loss of Professor Tony Suryanawata Wirjanto, who passed away on June 3, 2026, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, at the age of 67.
Born in Indonesia, Tony came to the University of Waterloo in 1991, drawn by the kind of interdisciplinary environment his curiosity demanded. He began his career at UWaterloo in the Department of Economics before going on to hold appointments in SAF, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science and the Cheriton School of Computer Science, contributing to both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Mathematics throughout his career.
His work at the intersection of statistics, economics and finance ranged widely across quantitative and computational finance, climate risk, ESG investing, portfolio optimization, time series modelling and AI-driven applications in cybersecurity. Tony was a long-standing Associate Director of the Waterloo Research Institute in Insurance, Securities and Quantitative Finance (WatRISQ). What set Tony apart was the extraordinary pace and volume of his research output — he remained one of the most prolific scholars in his fields right up until his passing, a testament to an intellectual drive that never slowed.
His impact extended well beyond the university, shaped in large part by a deep commitment to sustainability and climate research. He served as academic advisor to UWaterloo's FINCAPES initiative, a Global Affairs Canada–funded project addressing climate change challenges in Indonesia with a $16 million budget — work that reflected his belief that rigorous financial research should serve real-world outcomes. Since 2019, he also served as Curator in Insurance and Asset Management for the World Economic Forum, contributing to the development of Transformation Maps used by policymakers worldwide. His involvement with the Waterloo Climate Institute, the Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute and the Waterloo Data and AI Institute ensured his research informed both academic and policy discussions at the highest levels.
To those who knew him, Tony was first and foremost a mentor. He took genuine pride in the development of his students and colleagues, and his integrity, generosity and quiet dedication set a standard that will outlast him.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial donations be made to the University of Waterloo Endowment Fund in memory of Tony Wirjanto
This story originally appeared in the Daily Bulletin.