Actuarial People

James Turner
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Actuarial People

Hello and welcome to Actuarial People with James Turner, where each week I’ll be speaking with a UK Actuary. My aim is to give you greater insight into the people behind the actuarial profession, and their personal career journeys. We’ll cover things like why and how they became an Actuary, what they do on a day to day basis, how they balance work and exams with life, and how their roles have evolved over time. So whether you’re an actuary yourself, or you’re aspiring to become one in the future, welcome and enjoy! https://actuarialpeople.com This podcast is sponsored by https://turnerperkins.com - I specialise in helping pensions actuaries at all levels with their career moves. Do get in touch if you'd like to have a conversation!

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Meet Tom Creasy! (Early Careers Special)

    Tom is VP, Actuarial & Business Intelligence at Euclid Transactional and joins me for the final 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

    41 min

  2. FEB 11

    Meet Shaun Marchant! (Early Careers Special)

    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 stageSeeking out an actuarial placement for his 2-week work experience at schoolCompleting a summer internship with an actuarial firm, who then sold the business!Co-founding the QMUL Actuarial SocietyShaun’s experience of the application process for permanent roles – online assessments and interviewsBeing 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

    40 min

  3. FEB 4

    Meet Rob Lees! (Early Careers Special)

    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 careerUnderstanding the typical online application stages (CVs, cover letters, psychometric tests etc.)Developing skills beyond your degree and using them to your advantage on applicationsTailoring your applications to each companyCV 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

    48 min

  4. JAN 28

    Meet Devan Vadher! (Early Careers Special)

    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

    34 min

  5. JAN 21

    Meet Ethan Haley! (Early Careers Special)

    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

    32 min

  6. JAN 14

    Meet Rick Watts!

    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

    56 min

  7. JAN 7

    Meet Gary Soar!

    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

    1h 4m

  8. 12/17/2024

    Meet Will Rainey!

    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

    56 min
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About

Hello and welcome to Actuarial People with James Turner, where each week I’ll be speaking with a UK Actuary. My aim is to give you greater insight into the people behind the actuarial profession, and their personal career journeys. We’ll cover things like why and how they became an Actuary, what they do on a day to day basis, how they balance work and exams with life, and how their roles have evolved over time. So whether you’re an actuary yourself, or you’re aspiring to become one in the future, welcome and enjoy! https://actuarialpeople.com This podcast is sponsored by https://turnerperkins.com - I specialise in helping pensions actuaries at all levels with their career moves. Do get in touch if you'd like to have a conversation!

Information

  • Creator
    James Turner
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 James Turner
  • Show Website
    Actuarial People

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