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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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