Actuarial consulting
Punter Southall provides a full range of actuarial services for occupational pension schemes.
​Our clients include a wide range of schemes – from the very small to the very large, with both corporate and trustee appointments within the public sector, charities and the private sector. We work with a variety of benefit designs, including defined benefit, defined contribution, hybrid and career average arrangements. As well as the usual scheme funding work, we are involved with investment issues, scheme closure, buy-outs and scheme redesign.
 

 Overview

 

Within the actuarial discipline at Punter Southall there are a wide range of career paths open to people. Initially, there is a well-structured route for progression and people are encouraged to join technical committees in areas of interest. There are opportunities to work in many different areas, including technical work, advice on scheme asset investment, marketing, and the development of web-based pension and actuarial tools. We also work closely with other Punter Southall Group companies and there are possibilities for secondments to different, specialist business areas (for example with our investment experts, P-Solve).

We provide a comprehensive training and development programme within the ‘Investor in People’ framework. Training is ongoing, with plenty given on the job, and our culture encourages colleagues of all levels to spend time training or discussing issues with others. For the first year, new graduates have weekly training talks given by other trainees and newly qualified actuaries. There are formal training courses twice a year on all aspects of the pensions industry and informal technical discussions every month. Once a year there is a seminar for all qualified actuaries in the company, which gives the opportunity to discuss current issues and share knowledge.
 
The pension industry is subject to regular legislative changes and, in order to continue providing a high quality service to our clients, it is vital that all our employees are able to react to these changes. Our dedicated technical support teams, with representatives from each discipline, keep abreast of these developments and provide all our employees with the training they need.
 
For students studying towards qualification as a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries we offer a bank of study days, provide materials and run tutorials. Each student is assigned a study mentor to help them through the exam process.  As well as this formal support, the encouragement and understanding of colleagues who have all been through the same process is invaluable. Further details of the qualifications can be found on the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries website www.actuaries.org.uk.
 
An actuarial career in pensions is interesting, stimulating and challenging, and is not just about performing calculations. Pensions actuaries need to be able to discuss results and issues with people with different levels of knowledge, so it is important to have good communication skills. Every day brings new challenges; mastering the technical skills needed for the job is just the beginning. Punter Southall provides support to help you develop in the best direction for you and the company.
 
Punter Southall is a successful, innovative organisation that is always growing and developing within the market. Our success is down to the quality, commitment and client focused attitude of our employees, and the close co-operation within teams and across the group.
 

 Katherine

 

Interesting fact!

I'm a keen collector of jewellery and have enough pairs of earrings to wear a different pair every week for the next couple of years!

On completion of my degree I started looking for a career that was mathematical, but involved more than just number crunching. Working for an actuarial consultancy offers me just that; the perfect balance between technical calculations and communicating the results to clients.

 
In my office we work in teams of 8-12 people, ranging in experience from new trainees to actuaries who have been qualified for a number of years. This gives the opportunity to work with and learn from a wide range of people and means there is always someone available to answer any questions. The size of the company is ideal for me: large enough to offer a variety of opportunities, but small enough that you don’t get lost in the crowd.
 
There can be quite a steep learning curve, especially in the first year, but my team were (and continue to be) really supportive, and there is an ongoing internal training programme. I now run some training courses, both as part of the initial weekly training for new graduate recruits, which I also help to coordinate, and as part of the office wide training. Running a training course makes you realise how much you’ve learnt, and sometimes the things you still need to work on! It’s also a good opportunity to catch up with colleagues from the other offices.
 
Having been with Punter Southall for nearly five years now, I have almost finished the actuarial exams, and the support provided by Punter Southall has helped me to progress through these fairly quickly.  I now work on a number of different pension schemes, each with its own quirks and am the main support to the Scheme Actuary on some of them.  This provides plenty of opportunities to develop work and people management skills as well as the more technical knowledge required to do this job.
 
Socially there is a really friendly atmosphere in the office, with regular office and team nights out. Recently there has been a team meal, an office quiz and a boat trip on the River Wey, so there’s something for everyone to get involved in.
 

 Martin

 

Interesting fact!

I travelled a 27,000 mile round trip (New Zealand to Scotland) to watch Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup Final. Sadly, we lost 3–1 but for 31 minutes we were leading… and it was fabulous.
 
I graduated in 2003 and, after some travelling, started working for Punter Southall in the London office in September 2004. I fondly remember my first day at Punter Southall, which involved very little work and a very sociable evening! It seemed that almost everyone from the office came to the pub to greet us, and we had a great night.
 
I work in a part of Punter Southall called Punter Southall Transaction Services, in a team of 14. I give advice to companies regarding their day-to-day pensions issues, and when they are involved in mergers and acquisitions. When I started at Punter Southall a significant proportion of the work I performed was calculation based but, over time, I’ve focused more on consulting and providing advice directly to clients.
 
The combination of work and study took a bit of getting used to. However, Punter Southall provides an excellent study support package, including a recently qualified study mentor who has done it all before and can provide lots of useful advice. Even as exams approach there is still time for a social life – in April 2008 I ran the London Marathon the day before an exam, and it turned out to be both my best marathon time and my last exam!
 
I really enjoy working in the heart of London’s West End. The office is a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus, so there is a huge choice of possible lunch venues, from sandwich shops and pubs, to Chinatown and world class restaurants. The area also offers an incredible choice of post-work activities, including Theatreland and Oxford Street.
 
I think that the highlight of working at Punter Southall is the people I work with. I have been on a number of great holidays with friends from work, to places like Tallinn, Sardinia and Center Parcs. I also cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats with friends from work, and we raised over £10,000 for charity.