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

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

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.