Actuarial People (James Turner)

Daryl is Head of Market & Liquidity Risk at Legal & General for the Retirement Institutional business. He looks after all elements of market risk which includes interest rates, inflation, FX and property risk.

We explore how Daryl entered the actuarial profession, how he transitioned from his first role in pensions to investment consulting, specialising in investment strategy and LDI, moving to the insurance company AXA in both the UK and the US, and ultimately joining L&G back in the UK. Daryl shares his views on the importance of gaining diverse experience and being open to variety, and how the role of an actuary might evolve in the future with the aid of data science and machine learning.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Daryl here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryl-boxall-21970a33/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Neel is an Associate Director at WTW, working in the Retirement Team.

Neel began his actuarial career in Kenya before moving to the UK. We discuss everything from how he discovered the actuarial profession, securing his first role, progression quickly into a management position and his reasons for seeking a move to the UK. We explore some of the differences between working in pensions consulting in Kenya vs London, his experiencing of interviewing for UK roles and why he chose to join WTW.

Neel also shares his views on the importance of finding the right balance between work, the actuarial exams and personal life during the early stages of his career.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Neel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neelgudka1/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Paul is the UK Head of Pensions Consulting & Partner at EY.

Paul leads a team of Actuaries, Investment professionals, data scientists and scheme excellence & governance experts.

We explore Paul’s career journey to date, including how he entered the profession, his experience with the actuarial exams, Paul’s approach to career progression, working for different consultancies, becoming an MD of an investment Bank and becoming a ‘Big 4’ Partner. All after accepting his first actuarial role before he really knew what an actuary was!

I loved hearing about Paul’s passion for identifying and developing ‘quiet leaders’ and the changes he has made to help unlock his team’s true potential.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Paul here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kitson-7b64026/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com, james@turnerperkins.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Bobby has over 30 years’ experience in the actuarial industry, and is Managing Director of HS Trustees.

Bobby shares his journey to date, from beginning his career in Life Insurance, transitioning to Investment Consulting and more recently becoming a Professional Trustee. We discuss everything from how he discovered the actuarial profession, memories of interviewing at various stages of his career, his approach to the exams, becoming a people manager, growing teams & business areas, and becoming a confident presenter.

Bobby is the first Professional Trustee I have spoken with on the show, and he gives a great account of what his work involves which may be helpful for anyone thinking of going in this direction in the future.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Bobby here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riddawayconsulting/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week on Actuarial People I had the pleasure of speaking with Lloyd Richards!

Lloyd is a Director & Head of Actuarial at Crowe UK, and specialises in risk & sustainability consulting. His client base spans across Insurance, Asset Management and other sectors, and he helps to develop and embed their risk management frameworks.

In this episode we discuss how Lloyd discovered the actuarial profession, starting his career initially in pensions consulting, his move internally to insurance consulting, his experience with the exams, moving into risk consulting with a very small consultancy (later acquired by Crowe!) and how he has 'found his niche'.

We also learn about Lloyd’s role in teaching at Queen Mary’s University and his charitable maths tutoring, as well as his role as a Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Actuaries!

Please connect with Lloyd here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydrichards/

Feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info @actuarialpeople.com.

Connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

My guest this week is the wonderful Ingrid Chiu!

Ingrid is a Lead Consultant at WTW in Reigate, and has 11 years' experience in the pensions sector.

We explore Ingrid's career journey to date, discussing her initial 6 week internship, starting full-time on the graduate scheme, her experience with the actuarial exams, and gaining broader experience via secondments & specialist teams.

Ingrid also shares her experience of balancing family life with work (and the support she has received from her colleagues) - having had her first of two children just a year after joining as a graduate.

I loved speaking with Ingrid and hope you enjoy!

Please connect with Ingrid here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-c-6987a311b/

Feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

Connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Matt is an Investment Consultant working for Isio, and specialises in LDI.

We explore Matt’s route into the actuarial profession after studying Maths and Cyber Security, gaining experience via a fully remote internship, choosing a career in consulting, balancing work with study and his other interests, presenting at his first client meeting, transferring from pensions to investment consulting and specialising in Liability-Driven Investment.

It was lovely to speak with someone at a relatively early stage of their career who has already experienced such breadth of what an actuarial career can offer.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Please connect with Matt here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcorrie100/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com, james@turnerperkins.com or https://actuarialpeople.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Kiran is a Pensions Actuary and Team Leader at WTW in London.

We discuss everything from how Kiran entered the actuarial profession, his fond memories of his first role with Hewitt (now Aon), taking breaks from the exams and qualifying recently, working for consultancies from the very small to the very large, working in both trustee and corporate focussed teams, working for companies through significant periods of change, why he joined WTW and how he has found it so far, and his role as a team leader. We also explore Kiran’s interest in AI and how it can be utilised in the actuarial profession.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Kiran here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiran-mandalia-715530b/

Feel free to connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Cian is currently a Reinsurance Pricing Actuary at MS Amlin.

He is responsible reinsurance pricing across all business lines, with a main focus on Property Catastrophe and Casualty Treaty.

We discuss everything including how he entered the actuarial profession, why he chose a career in General Insurance, Cian’s experience of working for consultancies, insurance companies and brokers, and his view on the differences between specialising in reserving, capital modelling and pricing.

He also offers some great advice for anyone beginning their career in general insurance today!

Please connect with Cian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cian-creedon-ab89183a/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm joined by the wonderful Alexis Tate!

Alexis has worked in the actuarial industry for 20 years, and is currently a GMP Operations Lead for Mercer. She is also a people leader, a mental health first aider and has taken on many different roles over her career.

In this episode we discuss her journey to date, including how she first joined the actuarial profession, why she decided not to qualify having passed 14/15 exams, how she navigated her career and made strategic moves internally to gain new experience, her experience with mental health, and reaching a senior level in pensions without being a fully qualified actuary.

Please connect with Alexis here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-tate-cmgr-mcmi-3a4bb419/

Feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

Connect with me at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

John is a Partner at Aon, where he leads the Corporate Consulting business across the UK. John is responsible for a team of over 100 people as well as being a lead consultant for a number of corporate clients.

We explore everything from how John entered the actuarial profession as a summer intern, his experience with the exams, starting in a mixed trustee/corporate consulting role, his involvement in setting up a specialist valuations team, transitioning to become a corporate specialist, and becoming a Partner.

John shares his experience of moving into people management & leadership, and how he helps people at key stages of their careers. John also shares his views on the future of the pensions industry, and his keen interest in developing ways to support part-time colleagues in a different way, to help with their longer term development.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with John here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-hardern-65232b36/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Rob is a qualified actuary in the pensions sector, and joins us as part of my mini-series focussed on early careers. Rob has lots of experience of the recruitment cycle for actuarial interns and actuarial graduates, and shares his knowledge in the hope of helping aspiring actuaries on the journey to securing their first actuarial role.

We explore:

• Rob’s own experiences of the application process when he began his actuarial career
• Understanding the typical online application stages (CVs, cover letters, psychometric tests etc.)
• Developing skills beyond your degree and using them to your advantage on applications
• Tailoring your applications to each company
• CV reviewing – how are CVs assessed by actuaries?
• Preparing for assessment days and interviews

If you are an aspiring actuary hoping to begin your actuarial career in the coming months or years, this is such an important conversation and thank you very much Rob for sharing your knowledge!!

Please connect with Rob here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lees-fia-6116057b/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Richard is an experienced Actuary & Director of Enterprise Risk Management for Europe at Canada Life.

After getting a feel for his career journey to date, we explore his experience of working in different countries, his passion for helping people to think differently, striving to help the global development of the actuarial profession via volunteering for the IFoA and the International Actuarial Association, and Richard's role as a coach.

I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation, his openness, thoughtfulness and fantastic breadth of experience both in and outside of the 'day job' allowed me to get to know the real Richard and there is so much here for everybody to enjoy.

A perfect final episode for 2023!

Please connect with Richard here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-g-5a632743/

Feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Ethan is a second-year actuarial science student and Co-President of the Actuarial Society at Queen Mary University of London.

This is the first in a mini-series of episodes designed to address some of the challenges faced by students in transitioning from university to securing their first actuarial role. I asked Ethan to spend some time with me to help understand how it feels to be in this position, with a view to me then addressing some of these challenges in the upcoming episodes by speaking with a variety of people who have experienced the graduate recruitment process from different angles.

Ethan highlights a significant knowledge gap that many students experience, particularly in understanding the skills and experience that employers look for on actuarial job applications, and what you can do now to hopefully stand out when it is time to start the application process.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be speaking with people who have gone through the application process successfully, learning about the strategies they used and what each stage looked and felt like. I’ll also be meeting people who are involved in screening CVs, holding assessment days and interviewing for graduate positions and/or internships.

Thanks very much for sharing your experience Ethan!

Please connect with Ethan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-haley-qmul/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Dhyan is an Actuarial Apprentice, working in the Pensions Team at WTW.

We discuss his entry into the actuarial profession, the application process for the apprenticeship and the different interview stages, joining the actuarial pensions team having initially applied for a role in insurance, and achieving his goal of joining the profession without studying at University.

Dhyan gives a great account of the experience he has gained so far, the challenges he has faced and the wide range of opportunities in front of him. He also shares his thoughts on additional qualifications, advice for other apprentices, making strong first impressions in interviews and gaining a deeper understanding of the work he does and the clients he works on.

Dhyan – thank you very much for sharing your journey, it’s really important to highlight opportunities to join the profession via apprenticeships and I hope this inspires others to do the same!

Please connect with Dhyan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhyan-trivedi/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Joe is a Capital Actuary at Beazley. He is responsible for helping the Capital Team with updating and maintaining the internal model, specifically testing the model to ensure its operating effectively and compliant with regulations such as Solvency II.

We discuss Joe’s entry into the actuarial profession, his experience with the exams and helping others with their study, his reasons for moving from pensions consulting into General Insurance, how he prepared himself for the change, choosing to specialise in Capital Modelling, and how he has found it so far.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Please connect with Joe here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-hills-21491195/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com, james@turnerperkins.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Actuarial People is sponsored by my actuarial recruitment company – https://turnerperkins.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Peter is a Life Actuary, with extensive experience in ALM and Investments. He relocated from the UK last year to join the BMA in Bermuda.

We explore everything from how he secured his first actuarial role, beginning his career in insurance consulting, balancing technical skills with clear communication, transitioning from consulting to a life insurance company, developing his specialism in ALM & investments, climbing the career ladder and his recent decision to relocate from London to Bermuda.

I really enjoyed hearing about his new role at the Bermuda Monetary Authority and what it’s really like living in Bermuda! A fantastic episode for anyone thinking of relocating, or who’d just like to know what it’s like being an actuary outside of the UK.

Please connect with Peter here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmason123/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com or james@turnerperkins.com

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Tom is VP, Actuarial & Business Intelligence at Euclid Transactional and joins me as part of my mini-series focussed on early careers.

Tom draws on his experience of being a GI Actuary in both the UK and the US, and his extensive experience of hiring and training actuarial graduates.

During the conversation we learn how:

• Practicing interviews and getting mock interview experience can help build confidence.
• Tailoring your CV and application to each job increases your chances of standing out.
• Confidence in communication is more important than technical knowledge during assessments.
• Networking and seeking feedback from peers can greatly improve your application process.

Tom also emphasises the importance of starting your job applications early, while suggesting some alternative options if you have left it too late.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Tom here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-creasy-1a018140/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Shaun is a Graduate Trainee Actuary at Isio, and joins me for the next in my early careers mini-series.

In this episode Shaun shares his journey, in order to help people to understand more about the process, and the things they could be doing to increase their chances of successfully starting a career in the actuarial sector.

We discuss:

• Discovering the actuarial profession at an early stage
• Seeking out an actuarial placement for his 2-week work experience at school
• Completing a summer internship with an actuarial firm, who then sold the business!
• Co-founding the QMUL Actuarial Society
• Shaun’s experience of the application process for permanent roles – online assessments and interviews
• Being proactive in developing skills and experience in addition to his degree course

Shaun is a fantastic example of someone who went out of his way to try new things, and to actively develop skills and experience which would help him stand out. I hope you enjoy the conversation!!

Please connect with Shaun here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-marchant-5a770320b/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Mark is the London Practice Leader & Head of GMP Equalisation at Buck, a Gallagher Company. He is an experienced People Leader, Scheme Actuary and a Council member at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

We discuss everything from how Mark initially entered the actuarial profession, beginning his first role with WTW in Reigate, gaining line management experience at an early stage, moving to PwC after 12 years to experience a different type of role, and then joining Buck in a Leadership role where he has gone from strength-to-strength.

Mark gives amazing insight to his love for the people side of actuarial teams. We learn about the concept of ‘locus of control’, how he helps people to avoid a career plateau a few years after qualifying, and the importance of creating an environment where people have open discussions about their careers. Mark also shares how he came to take a lead on setting up and running the GMP equalisation team, the breadth of skills you can develop working in this area, his views on the future of the pensions industry, and advice for anyone starting their actuarial career in pensions today.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!!

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Gary leads the Manchester Investment Advisory team at ISIO, where he advises institutional clients on their investment strategies.

We explore Gary's career path, from discovering the actuarial profession during sixth form, to beginning his career in pensions, and the steep learning curve he faced when moving from pensions to investment consulting. We also discuss his role as Head of LDI Manager Research during the COVID-19 pandemic and the LDI crisis, which tested his resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing environment.

Gary also shares his personal experiences with mental health, and the support he received from family, friends, and colleagues. I loved getting to know Gary and I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Gary here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-soar-053a0b114/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Samir is a senior Risk Actuary with several years of experience in the insurance industry.

After sharing how he discovered the profession through his high school economics teacher, Samir discuses everything from working in different parts of the world (including Canada, Europe and the UK), the skills and experience he gained at an early stage which helped him to successfully transition from permanent employment into contracting, setting up his own management consultancy, and his thoughts on planning an end date for contracting and what he’d like to achieve next in his career.

Samir also reflects on personal challenges, career breaks, and the motivation behind his career choices, emphasising the need for adaptability and continuous learning in a rapidly changing environment.

I particularly enjoyed hearing about his attitude to work during his time as a contractor, the mindset required to be successful and how he continuously sought out ways to make a difference every day.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Samir here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-chaudhry-bmath-msc-b6885614/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm delighted to be joined by Ilona Roberts! Ilona is a Pensions Actuary & Senior Manager at EY, and specialises in Pensions Risk Transfer consulting.

Ilona shares her journey to date, from her first role in pensions working on the pensions review, her path to becoming a traditional pensions actuary (despite her school teacher advising her not to!), her experience of working for consultancies of different sizes, becoming an actuarial contractor, working for the Bulk Annuity Pricing team of a Life Insurer, and more recently moving from her insurance role back into pensions consulting.

Ilona has a wealth of experience in the industry and there's definitely something for everyone this week :)

Please connect with Ilona here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilona-roberts-aa879818/

Please feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm delighted to be joined by Phillip White!

Phil is an Actuarial Consultant at Buck (a Gallagher company) and has 14 years of experience in the pensions industry.

We explore Phil's journey to date, and discuss setting sights on becoming an actuary in year 9 of school, getting his first job in pensions as an administrator, transitioning across to an actuarial career path, managing people, developing specialisms, and progressing his career without fully qualifying as an Actuary.

Phil also shares some valuable advice for aspiring actuaries and those at the earlier stages of their career.

I hope you enjoy!

Please connect with Phil here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-white-21117b20b/

Please feel free to get in touch via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

Please connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

In this special episode of Actuarial People, I'm delighted to be joined by Erik Snaathorst!

Erik is an Early Careers Manager at Barnett Waddingham, where he is responsible for recruiting for new graduates, internships, apprentices and work experience opportunities across the business.

Erik shares his amazing experience on all things relating to getting your first step on the actuarial career ladder. We discuss the importance of applying early to internship and graduate opportunities, the different skills and experiences you can add to your CV and application forms, what you can expect when attending assessment days, and I ask Erik some of the questions sent in from listeners such as finding a role with visa sponsorship, or moving into actuarial after starting a career in a different field.

If you are considering being an actuary in the future, this episode is for you :)

Please connect with Erik here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriksnaathorst/

Feel free to contact me on info@actuarialpeople.com

Connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Mayowa is a Pricing Actuary at Just Group, specialising in Bulk Annuities.

We explore his career journey to date, from when he first discovered the actuarial profession existed, becoming a pensions actuary after completing a chemical engineering degree, and working for two pensions consultancies before moving into insurance. We discuss finding a balance between technical and client facing work, Mayowa’s career motivations, what being an actuary means to him, how he has found the move to an insurance company after his first month in the new role, and his views on the future of actuarial work.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Mayowa here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayowaokulate/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com, https://actuarialpeople.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Tarun is an Graduate Actuarial Consultant (Non-Life) at KPMG, and joins me for another Early Careers special!

I was really keen to find out more about the challenges of securing an entry-level actuarial role in the UK for international students, and the steps Tarun took to give himself every opportunity of being successful.

Tarun is a fantastic example of someone who recognised the need for developing new skills, networking, research, seeking feedback and having a thorough application strategy to achieve his goals.

I also loved hearing about how he passed his first actuarial exam at the age of just 18!

Please connect with Tarun here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarunagarwal29/

Thanks for sharing your journey Tarun!!

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Matt is Head of Origination Structuring at PIC. Matt is responsible for sourcing, assessing and bringing on new pensions risk transactions, including finding innovative solutions for the more unusual trades – such as those involving deferred premiums or illiquid assets.

We explore how he entered the actuarial profession, beginning his career with Buck, moving to insurance with PIC (despite accidentally keeping the interviewer waiting for 45 minutes 😊), and his recollection of how he found the initial transition from pensions consulting to a bulk annuity origination team.

This is a fantastic episode for anyone who’d like to gain a better understanding of what it’s like working for the BPA team of an insurance company. Matt gives a wonderful account of why he enjoys his work so much, why he loves working for PIC, the differences between specialising in pricing vs business development, how his career has progressed over time, things you can do to help prepare for moving into insurance, and his views of how his role might evolve over time.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Matt here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-richards-49102927/

Please feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com or james@turnerperkins.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Catherine is a Scheme Actuary at First Actuarial and has 17 years' experience in the industry.

We discuss Catherine's journey as an actuary to date, from how she first entered the profession after achieving a PhD, her experience with the exams, attending her first client meetings, her career motivations, the process of becoming a Scheme Actuary and moving from a 'big 4' type company into her current role at First Actuarial.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Catherine here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-snape-2a3218a0/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople or https://actuarialpeople.com

Connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Amanda is a Consulting Actuary, people manager and recruitment specialist at WTW.

We explore how Amanda discovered the actuarial profession, deciding between offers in insurance and pensions consulting, her approach to the exams, the challenges of finding opportunities to shine after qualifying, helping people to find their ideal mix of work, the value of trying something different, and developing a specialism in recruitment at WTW.

I also loved hearing about Amanda’s passion for singing with Vocal Dimension and the Nova quartet, and her love of the theatre, drumming and tapdancing!

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Amanda here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-prest/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week on Actuarial People I'm delighted to be joined by Chris Anderson!

After a couple of internships in pensions consulting whilst at university, Chris began his actuarial career in life insurance with Standard Life. Today he is a Director and Head of Life Actuarial - Scotland at EY.

Chris gives incredible insight into his journey to date as an Actuary. We discuss beginning his career in life insurance, his path to qualification, his experience of career progression in the insurance industry, the variety of work he has had exposure to, the value of finding good mentors, how he developed his specialism in the Bulk Annuities market, his approach to posting on LinkedIn, and his experience of being a people leader.

Whether you are an aspiring actuary or have already begun your own journey, I hope you find this conversation useful!

Please connect with Chris here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisanderson88/

Please feel free to contact me via:

https://actuarialpeople.com

info@actuarialpeople.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Welcome to episode two of Actuarial People where I'm delighted to be joined by the wonderful Tasneem Rahman!

Tas is a Risk Transfer Consultant with 6 years experience in the UK pensions industry. We talk about everything from when she first discovered actuaries existed, starting her career in pensions, her experience with the actuarial exams, moving from a traditional trustee consulting role to specialising in PRT, through to her experience with mental health and finding the right work/life balance.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Tas here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasneem-rahman-1883b0136/

The post I referred to at 33 mins is here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tasneem-rahman-1883b0136_a-recent-house-of-commons-article-regarding-ugcPost-7063684365175672832-VBEZ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

You can contact me at info@actuarialpeople.com or via https://actuarialpeople.com.

My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Jyotsna is a ALM Actuary - currently working across investments and matching adjustment projects for a large Life Insurance company.

We learn how Jyotsna decided to become an actuary, beginning her journey in Bulk Annuity Pricing, her experience of relocating from India to the UK, transitioning to working on the asset side, working in insurance consulting, and developing her investment specialism & love for asset liability management. We also discuss her role as President of the Indian Actuarial Network.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Jyotsna here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyotsna-kaushik-577a4b22/

Feel free to get in touch with me via info@actuarialpeople.com or https://actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Back when Actuarial People was just a concept, I said to John Harney ‘If I somehow make it to 50 episodes, I’ll be the guest and I’d love you to host!”

And here we are! This week John is asking the questions, and I genuinely had absolutely no idea what he was going to ask. It was such an interesting experience being on the other end of the conversation, and John was a fabulous host.

So if you’d like to find out a bit more about me, how I got here and my take on various aspects of actuarial careers, please have a listen and enjoy!!

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Lisa is an Associate Partner in the Risk Settlement Group at Aon in Leeds, where she advises scheme Trustees and Sponsors on buy-ins and buyouts.

We discuss everything from how Lisa entered the actuarial profession after completing a Masters and PhD in Chemistry, beginning her career in pensions consulting with PwC, transitioning from consulting to Insurance with Aviva as a Deal Manager, and then returning to consulting with Aon 4 years later.

Lisa also leads the Wellbeing Team within the Risk Settlement Group, and it was really interesting to hear about her role in providing wellbeing support to over 90 people and how she is promoting work-life balance.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Lisa here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-varley-b1000858/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Cath is a Client Partner at 4most, one of the leading specialist credit risk analytics and actuarial consultancies, globally. Cath has over 25 years of actuarial experience and specialises in understanding and solving the challenges faced by Life Insurance companies.

We explore Cath's path to becoming an actuary, the value of trying different roles and functions within Life Insurance, becoming a people leader for large teams, being an examiner for the actuarial exams, her (unexpected, yet career-defining) move into actuarial modelling, and everything she has learned about herself along the way.

We also discuss Cath's recent move into actuarial consulting with 4most, and the kind of Consultant she is striving to be in her new role.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Cath here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cath-hodges-68b2344/

Please feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Kevin is an Actuary with 25 years of consulting experience, and the Founder of Guiide. Guiide is a free online platform which aims to bridge the pensions advice gap. It allows anyone who plans to enjoy the pension freedoms to build a tax efficient plan simply, to get what they want in retirement, using everything they have.

We discuss everything from how Kevin entered the actuarial profession, his experience working for three different consultancies, helping to set up the bulk annuity team at Aon, taking on the challenge of being the only actuary in a new team at GT, developing the idea for Guiide and ultimately setting up his own business.

Kevin is a great example to anyone who’d like to start their own business, and it was really interesting hearing about Guiide and how it helps 10,000 people every month with their pension planning.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Kevin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hollister-778a1293/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Emma is a Senior Consultant at Aon and has recently celebrated her 15 years work anniversary! She sits in the corporate consulting team, advising final salary schemes, some DC schemes and also provides wider pensions advice.

We explore Emma’s journey to date, including how she first became an actuary, her experience with the exams, moving from trustee to corporate consulting, becoming a people manager, taking on a project consultancy role after returning from maternity leave, and developing her specialisms in PPF levy consulting and project management.

Please connect with Emma here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-dodgson-1822ba94/

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com or https://actuarialpeople.com

Connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Emma is an Associate Partner at Aon and leads the Bristol Trustee Retirement Team.

We discuss everything from how she discovered the actuarial profession existed, why she chose to work in pensions consulting, understanding the role of a pensions actuary, and how her role evolved over time. Emma shares her experiences of seeking opportunities and stepping out of her comfort zone, and how some of these opportunities influenced her career development.

Emma also shares her experience of going on maternity leave twice, finding the right work-life balance, all whilst going through promotion processes and taking on people leadership responsibility.

I loved getting to know Emma, she is incredibly impressive and I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Emma here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-moore-63399713a/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Today, I chat with Gary Gallacher, an investment consultant who took a unique path into the actuarial world. He shares his journey from the Highlands of Scotland to Leeds, and how a chance encounter led him to discover actuarial science while studying at Heriot Watt University. Gary talks about his struggles with mental health, the impact of education on his life, and how he found his niche in investment consulting. We dive into the importance of building support networks and how personal experiences shape our professional journeys. Gary's insights on embracing opportunities and implementing new ideas provide valuable lessons for anyone starting out in the industry.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Gary here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygallacher/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Welcome to the very first eposode of Actuarial People, where I am delighted to be joined by John Harney!

John is a Senior Consultant in Aon's UK pensions team. We start by going right back to when he first became aware that actuaries existed, and discuss everything from his journey to securing his first job, his experience with the actuarial exams, developing a specialism, mentoring & advocacy, and the experience of moving jobs, through to his fantastic use of LinkedIn and what he's looking forward to in the future.

Please connect with John here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwilliamharney/ and for anyone interested, the book he mentioned (Winning Conditions by Christine Hofbeck) can be found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winning-Conditions-Achieve-Professional-Managing/dp/B08KSKVPJK

Please consider subscribing/following to keep up to date with all future episodes, and any reviews would be a great help.

You can contact me at info@actuarialpeople.com or via https://actuarialpeople.com

You can connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm delighted to be joined by Suchi Dench. Suchi is a Consultant in the Risk Transfer and Funding & Benefits Teams at Mercer.

We get to know Suchi and her 10+ year career journey to date, from when she first discovered the actuarial profession, her experience of working on US and UK pension schemes while working in India, her experience of relocating to the UK in 2020, developing her specialism in Risk Transfer consulting, and how she has reached her level of seniority without taking the actuarial exams until very recently.

Please connect with Suchi here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suchidench/

And you can connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

https://actuarialpeople.com Info@actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Steve is an Actuary & Corporate Consultant at First Actuarial, based in Manchester.

Steve shares his journey into the actuarial profession, discussing his experiences, challenges, and insights gained over 20 years in the industry. We explore how his role has evolved over time, including becoming a Scheme Actuary before specialising in corporate advice, with a particular emphasis on finding enjoyment & fulfilment in each role rather than focusing on job titles.

Steve also offers advice to graduates and young professionals, including his thoughts on what to look for during the interview process, embracing every opportunity which comes your way, and sharing his views of the future of the profession.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Steve here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdeverellsmith/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Victoria is a Partner at LCP and led the actuarial team of 80 people in Winchester for 5 years.

We discuss Victoria’s journey to date including joining LCP as a Graduate, her experience with the exams, becoming a people manager, asking for help and advice, saying yes to new opportunities, and her career progression through each level to becoming a Partner.

We also discuss her experience of hosting the podcast ‘Beyond Curious with LCP’ and her role as a Trustee for the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, which prompted one of the hardest-hitting question I’ve posed to date: ‘What do you prefer – Pensions or Penguins?’

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Victoria here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicsnowden/

‘Beyond Curious with LCP’ is available on all podcast platforms and the LCP website – Victoria co-hosted series 2!

Find out more about the charity UK Antarctic Heritage Trust here: https://www.ukaht.org/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com, james@turnerperkins.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Julie is a Partner within the Public Sector Team at Hymans Robertson.

We discuss entering the actuarial profession after completing her PhD, her experience with the exams, moving into people leadership and specialising in public sector consulting. Julie is also responsible for the internal Working Parents Network, so we explore her experience of balancing work with family life, working flexibly, and returning from maternity leave without hindering her career progression.

Having spent time getting to know Julie, I realised that anyone who enjoys being a pensions actuary, who’d like to continue in consulting but would like to do something genuinely different, should consider adding public sector consulting to the list when considering what to do next.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Julie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewestlgpsemployers/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm delighted to be joined by Kylie Arbon!

Kylie is a qualified Pensions Actuary, and Head of Transformation at Broadstone.

We discuss how Kylie discovered the actuarial profession, her path to qualification, becoming a client facing consultant, her experience with Coaching & Mentoring, and transitioning from a traditional role to specialising in change management and business improvement. Kylie has worked for the same (growing) business throughout her whole career to date, and it was incredibly interesting to hear how varied and fulfilling it has been.

Please connect with Kylie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylie-arbon-5694ba15/

Feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Julian is a Senior Actuarial Consultant and rectification specialist at Capita.

We discuss everything from his journey into the profession with a degree in English Literature, working at consultancies of different sizes, becoming an industry expert in rectifications & GMP equalisation, the importance of building strong technical knowledge early in an actuarial career, Julian’s approach to interviewing people for his team, and his views on the future of pensions.

Julian also shares his perspective on neurodivergence in the workplace, having been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism quite recently. He shares how these traits have shaped his approach to work, highlighting both the challenges and advantages they bring. 

It was a pleasure to get to know Julian and I hope you enjoy the conversation!

01:30 Julian’s history

13:00 What he does now

18:30 His views on pensions

24:00 Neurodivergence

42:30 Final thoughts

Here is the link to the video I mention during the podcast, in which Julian shares more about his experiences with neurodivergence: https://capita.wistia.com/medias/nj9kxxbs2u

Please connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-tolan-fia-96204a15/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I’m delighted to be joined by James Nunn.

James is a qualified actuary, and an Actuarial Tutor for ActEd. He has over 20 years of actuarial experience across both Life Insurance and Pensions Consulting.

We discuss everything from James’ love of maths (and running!), to starting his first actuarial role, working for consultancies of different shapes and sizes, transitioning from pensions into life insurance after qualifying, some of the differences and similarities between life & pensions, and transferring his skills and experience to teaching.

For anyone still taking the actuarial exams – our conversation around James’ role as an Actuarial Tutor has some very useful insights!!

Please connect with James here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-nunn-9ab00786/

Feel free to contact me on info@actuarialpeople.com or via https://actuarialpeople.com

Connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Helena is an Actuary, People Development Specialist and Executive Coach at WTW.

She moved from the traditional actuarial path into people development a number of years ago, and now works to understand the learning & development needs of a range of colleagues from junior actuarial trainees through to very experienced client facing consultants, designing and delivering L&D solutions.

We discuss Helena’s entry into the actuarial profession, becoming a qualified actuary, working in small and large consultancies, moving internally into L&D, her passion for lifelong learning, and her role as a member of the IFoA Diversity Action Group.

Helena is a wonderful example of someone who has transitioned from being a traditional pensions actuary into something she is so clearly passionate about, and how you can do so with the support of a great employer.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Helena here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-ingram-39441a60/

Feel free to contact me on info@actuarialpeople.com, james@turnerperkins.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Will shares his unique journey from being a Pensions Actuary in the UK to becoming Head of Investment Strategy in Hong Kong, Head of Sales Operations in Thailand, as well as being an advocate for teaching children about money.

We explore everything from how Will discovered the actuarial profession, transitioning from pensions to investment consulting, relocating with his family from London to Hong Kong, taking some time out of the corporate world and becoming a financial wellbeing advocate & author!

We of course discuss his fantastic best-selling book “Grandpa’s Fortune Fables.” It’s a fantastic way to help children to develop a healthy relationship with money from an early stage, and there is plenty in there for grown-ups too. I’m a couple of chapters in with my 6 year old!

I hope you enjoy the conversation! (And apologies for the audio quality, it dips from around 20mins onwards but is well-worth sticking with :) )

Will's website: https://www.bluetreesavings.com/

Will’s book is available is many good book shops and on amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/6jZfFLq

Please connect with Will here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-rainey-bluetree/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Emily has recently celebrated her 25 year anniversary at WTW, where she is a Scheme Actuary, a Relationship Manager for Independent Trustees, a People Manager and company nominated Trustee for one the company pension schemes.  

Emily shares her journey in the actuarial profession, from discovering the profession to qualifying, and the importance of being open to new opportunities and taking on challenges. Emily discusses her passion for supporting female talent and promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry. We discuss her experience with imposter syndrome and how she has learned to manage it, and how she helps others by letting them know they are not alone in feeling this way. Emily also highlights the need for more open discussions about the impact of menopause in the workplace and the importance of creating a safe space for colleagues to share their experiences. She also shares her passion for promoting neurodiversity in the workplace and the value of embracing different perspectives.

I loved speaking with Emily, finding out why she loves working in Reigate and how she has found her ideal balance both in and out of the office.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Emily here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-nichols-8407a84b/

Feel free to connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Welcome to episode three of Actuarial People, where I'm joined by Simon Harris.

Simon began his career as a traditional Pensions Actuary, and is now a Associate Director in the Internal Audit Team of an international Investment Manager, where he is responsible for overseeing audits of the workplace investing business.

We spend time getting to know Simon and his career journey to date, from when he first discovered that actuaries existed & his experience of working for a traditional consultancy, through to becoming an in-house Senior Pension Risk Manager, and then into the world of Internal Audit.

Simon is a great example of how pensions actuaries can apply their skills and experience in a wide variety of settings, and he talks us through how he achieved this.

Please connect with Simon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-harris-36544535/

You can contact me at info@actuarialpeople.com or via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Kelly is a Leadership Coach, a Wellbeing Researcher and her background includes being a Qualified Actuary in the pensions field.

We explore Kelly’s journey to date, including how and why she became an Actuary, moving from a consulting environment to an in-house pensions team, her leadership & people management experience, and her decision to move away from an actuarial role to set up her coaching business.

We then explore coaching in more detail, including how people at all levels can benefit from working with a coach, the different areas Kelly coaches people on, a closer look at what the coaching process involves, and the importance of identifying your own individual values, strengths & areas of interest.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

 Please connect with Kelly here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-esther-davies/

You can find out more about ATEB Coaching by visiting the website: Home | Ateb Coaching

Kelly also writes a blog called 'Time for You', a weekly quick dose of inspiration with a quote, a question, and a recommendation to help you pause and reflect: Time

for You | Ateb Coaching

Please note these are not 'affiliate links' :)

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Jen worked a Life Insurance Actuary for almost 18 years, and today is a Coach for her own business – Soulfire Coaching.

Coaching has been mentioned a number of times by my previous guests as an invaluable way to help get the most out of their actuarial careers, so I was absolutely delighted to spend some time with someone who has been both an Actuary and a Coach!

After getting a feel for how and why Jen became an actuary and her career path, we dive into her transition to setting up a coaching business. We explore the different reasons to work with a coach, the common signs that someone might benefit from coaching, we talk about the coaching process – what it would look and feel like and the duration, we discuss what makes a good client/coach relationship, successful outcomes, and how to choose the right coach for you.

I hope this conversation helps to raise the awareness of how useful coaching can be to any career.

To find out more about Jen’s coaching and the different ways she can help, please visit https://soulfirecoaching.co.uk/

Please connect with Jen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jengoddardfia/ or email jen@soulfirecoaching.co.uk

Thanks for listening!

Please feel free to contact me via https://actuarialpeople.com or info@actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Felicia is an ex-Life, Pensions & GI Actuary who is now a Wealth Coach in the field of Pensions, Property and Stock Market Investments.

We discuss everything from Felicia’s entry into the actuarial profession, working in Life, Pensions and General Insurance, how she balanced this with running her own property business, through to life after being an Actuary. Today, Felicia has set herself a goal of helping one million women to become financially independent through education, and empowering them to take control of their finances. She wants to normalise talking about money, savings, pensions and investment strategies and we explore how she is doing this via workshops, podcasts, Instagram and YouTube.

Felicia was wonderfully open and honest about her own life experiences, and how events in her life have provided the motivation and inspiration for what she does today.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Felicia here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-flinders-b1359618/

You can follow her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/ff_women_wealth_creation/?hl=en

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Catrin is a Qualified Actuary, Motor Pricing Manager and Author!

Catrin is so passionate about the actuarial profession, and this is a fantastic episode for aspiring actuaries, current actuaries, and anyone curious to learn more about what actuaries do. Catrin shares her views on how actuarial skills can be applied in many different ways, as well as providing insights into the world of insurance!

Starting with a brilliant example from World War II to illustrate how understanding risk can lead to better decision making, moving on to the importance of being able to quantify, manage and trade risk in enabling a functioning society, we then discuss everything from a day in the life of a pricing actuary, the different factors impacting your car insurance premiums, raising awareness & accessibility of the profession, and increasing diversity of thought in pricing teams.

We also chat about Catrin’s brilliant book – ‘A Risky Business: An Actuary’s Guide to Quantifying and Managing Risk in Society’ which is available to buy on Amazon. (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Risky-Business-Actuarys-Quantifying-Managing/dp/3031116720)

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Catrin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catrin-townsend-608b44234/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Devan is a Senior Insurance Risk Analyst at Aspen, and Secretary & Director of Staple Inn Actuarial Society. He joins me for the second episode in my early careers mini-series - aimed at helping people to understand how to prepare themselves for securing their first actuarial role.

After learning about how Devan discovered the actuarial profession, we explore his own experience of transitioning from studying Financial Mathematics at university to securing his first actuarial job. We chat about his strategy for applying to over 300 graduate opportunities during his final year, how he tailored his CV and cover letter to each company, what the application process typically consists of, the importance of being resilient, and what he learned through attending interviews.

Devan also shares his views on the importance of finding additional ways to develop your communication and people skills whilst at university, and why this is important for the work of actuaries today.

Please connect with Devan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devan-vadher/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm delighted to be joined by Masimba Zata.

Masimba is a Director in the Insurance Solutions business at Moody's Analytics. He is also an IFoA Council Member, a member of the Board of Trustees for the IFoA Foundation and a visiting lecturer at Queen Mary University.

Masimba shares his story to date, from where he first discovered the actuarial profession, beginning his career as a pensions actuary, transitioning to insurance, moving up into senior positions, and his passion for playing an active role in the development of the profession as a whole.

This is a slightly longer episode than usual as he has so many useful insights to share, there really is something for everyone here.

Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Masimba: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masimbazata

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

For more info on Actuarial People, visit : https://actuarialpeople.com or email info@actuarialpeople.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Andrea is a Partner at K3 Advisory, where she leads K3’s solutions for schemes moving through the buy-in phase of the transaction to ultimate buy-out.  She also manages key relationships with insurers, reinsurers, K3’s business partners and trustees.

We explore how Andrea discovered the actuarial profession, and follow her career path which includes working for two consultancies, the PPF, the bulk annuity team of an insurance company and now K3 Advisory.

We discuss the differences between some of her key roles, the challenges and opportunities she encountered along the way, her experience of moving into a people management role, and her love of specialising in the bulk annuity market.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Please connect with Andrea here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-mendham-6976a762/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Rick is a Pensions Actuary & Director at PwC in Bristol, and a specialist in Audit & Accounting work.

We explore how he entered the profession, having spent a year in the Economic Forecasting & Reporting department of Gordon Brown’s Treasury. We discuss everything from his experience of working for different consultancies, becoming a corporate pensions specialist, the challenges of moving into a leadership role, his experience of building an actuarial team in India, working at a senior level on a part-time basis, and the importance of taking career breaks to recharge.

Rick also shares his experience of successfully transitioning from Senior Manager to Director level and I’m sure his insights here will help lots of people at that level.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Please connect with Rick here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-watts-26203526/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

This week I'm joined by the wonderful Ji-Hyang Lee!

Ji-Hyang is a Senior Consultant & Pensions Actuary at Aon, and has 18 years experience in the industry.

We discuss her experience to date, from when she first discovered that Actuaries existed, securing her first role as a graduate, advice on actuarial exam technique, working for consultancies of different shapes and sizes, client relationships, career mentoring, and her work on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Please connect with Ji-Hyang here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ji-hyang-lee-71946031/

Feel free to contact me via info@actuarialpeople.com, https://actuarialpeople.com or via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescturner/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

The Actuarial People podcast returns this week, and I'm delighted to be joined by Grace Holtom!

Grace is an Associate and Senior Consulting Actuary at Barnett Waddingham. As well as supporting Scheme Actuaries and leading various projects, she also leads the development of BW’s Lloyds 3 offering, she is a people manager & mentor, and part of a group which oversees the South West actuarial teams in Bristol and Cheltenham.

We discuss everything from how she joined the profession, seeking her first role and her career progression to date.

Grace talks about the importance of people management and mentoring, as well as the unique approach to management at Barnet Waddingham. She highlights the focus on future development, training, and non-chargeable roles within the company. Grace also discusses the exams and the balance between work, study, and personal life.

She shares her experience of balancing work and motherhood, the challenges she faced returning to work after maternity leave, and the importance of building a supportive team. We also explore her involvement in the Lloyds 3 GMP equalization project and the evolving role of actuaries in the pensions industry.

I loved getting to know Grace, and I hope you enjoy the episode!

Please connect with Grace here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-holtom-56a06565/

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website

Niraj is an Investment Analyst at LCP. He shares his journey into the actuarial profession, his experience of studying and working during the pandemic, beginning his career in pensions consulting and transitioning to investment consulting.

Niraj shares his insights on balancing work, study, and personal life, encouraging early career professionals to prioritise their well-being alongside their ambitions. We learn some of the differences and similarities between working in pensions and investments, and how his career has progressed to date.

Niraj also touches on his journey of unmasking and being his authentic self, which has influenced his perspective on career progression and personal development. I'd highly recommend following his LinkedIn posts and blog, which focus on topics related to his own lived experiences.

Please connect with Niraj here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niraj-shah-aia-a9783317b/

It was a pleasure to get to know him, hope you enjoy the conversation!

Mentioned in this episode:

Actuarial People is sponsored by my recruitment company Turner Perkins. I specialise in helping pensions actuarial professionals across all experience levels with their career moves. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james.turner@turnerperkins.com to arrange a confidential conversation!

TP Website