Actuarial People

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.

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. Please visit https://turnerperkins.com or email james@turnerperkins.com if you'd like to explore your career options.