Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
    • Moody's - Climate Risk Insurers series
    • Webinars
    • Podcasts
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • December 2014
12

Best of luck, SoNIA, from an old hand

Open-access content Thursday 4th December 2014 — updated 4.50pm, Tuesday 14th April 2020
2

I am sitting reading the latest The Actuary magazine here in the English village of Abbots Leigh and have seen the article on SoNIA or the Society of Northern Ireland Actuaries (The Actuary, November). This was my first inkling of its existence and reminded me of my experience.

After a BSc in economics at Queen's University Belfast, I trained at Standard Life, specialising in investment, qualifying in 1968. Along with David Kingston and Peter Derby, I believe we may have been the first generation of Ulster actuaries, although someone will no doubt prove me wrong. We all qualified in Edinburgh in the late 1960s.

I spent most of my career as the investment manager of Imperial Group Pension Fund, then a big conglomerate, of which Imperial Tobacco is the last element left. My first boss was George Ross Goobey, who is famous for being the first real proponent of equities for pension funds. I am still chairman of the Pensioners' Association, a sort of pensioners' trade union.

At 77, my last paid role is appointed investment adviser to Cornwall Council Pension Fund. They seem to prefer the devil they know, as I regularly suggest retiring. Anyway, please excuse these ramblings of the elderly. I was a founder member of the Bristol Actuarial Society around 1970, having been one of three actuaries in the city when I came here in 1968, so I know the problems of keeping an actuarial society going. Best of luck to this 'young' organisation. 

Norman Ferguson 

7 November

This article appeared in our December 2014 issue of The Actuary.
Click here to view this issue
Filed in
12

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

New Fast-Growing Team - Actuarial Systems Development

London (Greater)
Excellent Salary Package
Reference
143762

Actuarial Pension Consultant – Scotland/Remote – Up to £90,000 plus bonus

Edinburgh / Glasgow / Remote working
Up to £90,000 + Bonus
Reference
143761

Part Qualified Pensions Actuary– Specialised Pensions Consultancy - Scotland/Remote - Up to £70,000

Edinburgh / Glasgow / Remote working
Up to £70,000 + Bonus
Reference
143760
See all jobs »
 
 

Today's top reads

 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2023 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ