Rosalind Rossouw FFA Shares her experience engaging as an IFoA volunteer
Employer and area of work?
I work at Sun Life Financial of Canada (UK) as the head of business planning and capital management.
Where are you based?
Basingstoke in Hampshire.
What volunteer role(s) do you do for the IFoA?
- The value of with-profits for consumers Working Party
- The Diversity Advisory Group
- The Life Conference Programme Committee.
How long have you been volunteering?
Since August 2016.
What's involved in your roles?
Participation in meetings, research, review and leveraging my creative skill set and network for the benefit of the group.
What motivates you to volunteer for the IFoA?
The opportunity to contribute and add value by making a positive difference to others and to the profession.
What have you/do you hope to achieve in your volunteer role?
Each volunteering role has specific aims which I would like to deliver, for example, I would like to aid the promotion of diversity and inclusion by leading the development of an online diversity forum to support members of the profession.
What new skills or knowledge do you think you have developed?
Volunteering has helped me to develop my leadership and interpersonal skills.
Has this assisted your lifelong learning?
Without a doubt.
Do you think volunteering has helped you in your day job?
Yes. The volunteer chairs have set very good examples which have helped me to strengthen my meeting style, especially when chairing meetings at work.
Any memorable moments?
Presenting the research that the Value of With-Profits for Consumers Working Party had completed to date at CILA this year.
How do you relax?
I play tennis and garden.
How do you balance your day job and your volunteer role?
I complete all of my volunteering in my personal time, so I instead find it more challenging to balance my personal time and my volunteering role. I tend to devote an evening a fortnight to review and research. I am fortunate as my company offers flexible working hours, so if there is a meeting during the day, I either come into the office earlier or work slightly later than usual to accommodate this.
What would you say to others considering a volunteer role?
I would encourage them to do so, particularly as I have found volunteering to be incredibly rewarding.
Who is your role model?
My Mum - she is the strongest and most amazing person in my life.
What was your earliest dream job?
I wanted to be a paediatrician.
What word best describes you
Happy.
Do you prefer a staycation or holiday abroad?
I have a holiday home abroad, so enjoy the best of both!
If you were locked in a famous building for one night...which would it be and why?
Chatsworth House, so I could experience authentic stately home living, and enjoy the exquisite beauty of the gardens the following morning before the crowds arrived.
What was the most brilliant moment of your career to date?
Presenting at the International Congress of Actuaries in Washington D.C. in 2014.