Partnership Assurance (now part of Just Group), 2013 to 2015. Retirement Pricing Actuary and Equity Release Pricing Actuary, working directly with the CFO and sitting on the Retirement Income Rate Committee alongside executive board members.
Partnership wanted to bring the UK’s first annuity with a surrender option to market quickly, price bulk defined benefit buyouts capital-effectively, and give the CFO a reliable view of equity release capacity.
Delivered the pricing methodology, assumptions and board paper for the Partnership Enhanced Choice Annuity in under two weeks. Developed the method for capital-effective pricing of bulk buyouts. Built the equity release capacity model the CFO relied on, and a new equity release dashboard for the CEO and CFO.
The UK life industry’s first annuity with a surrender option reached market. Bulk deals worth hundreds of millions of pounds were priced and delivered. The equity release, retirement and capital pricing roles were combined with no loss of headcount.
St. James’s Place, 2015 to 2018. Senior Actuary in Research and Development, part of a team of actuaries and trainees, and the main contact for commercial and technical queries.
The firm needed its first formal product governance framework, alongside new products, tools and services for clients and advisers.
Developed and owned the firm’s first product governance framework, with commercial and technical input to the Actuarial Governance Group and Provider Risk Committee. Led pricing and product development for the UAE international investment bond. Sponsored the Retirement Planner cashflow tool and a new strategic offshore bond relationship, and led an initiative to remove penal exit charges.
St. James’s Place gained its first product governance framework, a new international bond for the UAE market, a cashflow planning tool for advisers, and the removal of penal exit charges for clients.
Prudential, 2012 to 2013. International Proposition Development Actuary for Prudential Polska, a start-up subsidiary, reporting to the Poland CEO and Product Director.
The new subsidiary needed savings, protection and investment products designed and priced for the Polish market, with UK head office and local teams aligned on a tight timeline.
Chaired the Pricing and Product Development Working Group across actuarial, sales, product, operations and finance. Designed key features, including the investment proposition, policy illustrations and bonus-setting methodology, and recommended the local pricing assumptions and agent remuneration.
The product suite passed every approval stage, from the project board and With-Profits Committee to the FSA and the Polish regulator, and launched on time against challenging criteria.
Own advice firms, 2018 to 2026. Founder and Partner across a succession of advice practices in the Thames Valley.
Building an advice business from a standing start, with growth, compliance and client acquisition resting on the founders.
Founded and scaled the practices and led their commercial growth and compliance. Designed corporate benefit frameworks for technology firms, and as Senior Quality Assurance Representative took the practice into the IFoA Quality Assurance Scheme.
The business was built through to a substantial sale. The experience gives a founder’s view of what buyers value, and a distributor’s view of which products advisers use and why.
