The first pillar of the IFoA’s current strategy is to reposition the profession. In simple terms, this means moving away from the stereotypical view that actuaries are largely analytical individuals and instead recognising the breadth of skills and talents they are able to offer in new domains and industries. Put another way, we want to ensure that the skills and abilities that actuaries already bring to our traditional areas of work are utilised in wider fields
This month we will be asking qualified members to vote on the proposal to introduce new designations for IFoA qualified actuaries – ‘Chartered Actuary (Associate)’ and ‘Chartered Actuary (Fellow)’.
As I was preparing to write this month’s column, the news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen was announced. I, along with Council, colleagues and members, was deeply saddened by this news. In recognition of this momentous event and to express our sympathy on Her Majesty’s passing, we felt it only fitting that we write the tribute that you can read on the preceding page.
Part of the IFoA’s purpose is to enable the profession to make a contribution to solving society’s biggest challenges. To do this, we need to increase our profile and the impact we have on a range of stakeholders.
This is my final column as president – I can’t believe the year has gone so quickly! It’s been a year of ups and downs, as COVID-19 has continued to be an influence, but I’d like to focus on the good things that will make it a year to remember for me.
During the past year or so I have spoken about how much the world, the actuarial profession and the IFoA have changed throughout my career. I’ve seen fax take over from telex, only to be displaced by email and the web. Instant messaging and video calls are normal, rather than sci-fi fantasies. Spreadsheets appeared, dominated, and now compete with more powerful data analytic tools. It really is a different world today, and yesterday’s skillset isn’t adequate to deal with it.
Fostering a vibrant global community is one of the three main themes of the IFoA’s 2020-24 strategy. Wherever we are and whatever our circumstances, we should be able to count on the IFoA’s support in our careers and professional development.
The IFoA is a member organisation, so it’s important that we find out what our membership wants from us – which is why we recently surveyed all members. Many thanks to everyone who participated. The feedback that you have given us will help to shape what the IFoA does for its members, for the industries in which they work, and for wider society.
