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Thursday 5th July 2012
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updated 5.13pm, Wednesday 29th April 2020
In another life, Stephen Hadjistyllis would have been an airline pilot, but has landed on his feet in the actuarial world

Employer and area of work
Trainee pensions actuary at Punter Southall
How would your best friend describe you?He replied to my text saying "Persistent, stubborn but most importantly loyal".
What motivates you?
Knowing that great effort eventually pays off and the harvest to come is indeed worthwhile.
What would be your personal motto?
"Fortunate is he, who is able to know the causes of things" - math comes in pretty handy.
Who do you most admire and why?
I admire anyone who has the courage to work their way through problems, despite hardship and the worst odds.
What's your most 'actuarial' habit?
Creating a spreadsheet for every occasion. Whether it is analysing house price inflation towards a property purchase or generating random numbers for the lottery (I don't trust the lucky dip generator!)
How do you relax away from the office?
I enjoy watching films and taking short weekend holidays. My favourite and most relaxing activity is cycling, especially along the River Thames.
Alternative career choice?
My dream was to become an airline pilot but it proved prohibitively expensive.
Tell us something unusual about yourself
With reference to the above, I have logged 29 hours of flying time in single engine aircraft, six of which were solo.
Greatest risk you have ever taken?
Getting a mortgage!
What's your most treasured possession?My bike - it takes me everywhere I need to go and also provides the necessary daily exercise.
If you ruled the world, what would you change first?
Weekends would end on a Tuesday.
Do you know an actuary destined for greatness? You can nominate an Actuary of the Future by emailing [email protected]
Trainee pensions actuary at Punter Southall
How would your best friend describe you?He replied to my text saying "Persistent, stubborn but most importantly loyal".
What motivates you?
Knowing that great effort eventually pays off and the harvest to come is indeed worthwhile.
What would be your personal motto?
"Fortunate is he, who is able to know the causes of things" - math comes in pretty handy.
Who do you most admire and why?
I admire anyone who has the courage to work their way through problems, despite hardship and the worst odds.
What's your most 'actuarial' habit?
Creating a spreadsheet for every occasion. Whether it is analysing house price inflation towards a property purchase or generating random numbers for the lottery (I don't trust the lucky dip generator!)
How do you relax away from the office?
I enjoy watching films and taking short weekend holidays. My favourite and most relaxing activity is cycling, especially along the River Thames.
Alternative career choice?
My dream was to become an airline pilot but it proved prohibitively expensive.
Tell us something unusual about yourself
With reference to the above, I have logged 29 hours of flying time in single engine aircraft, six of which were solo.
Greatest risk you have ever taken?
Getting a mortgage!
What's your most treasured possession?My bike - it takes me everywhere I need to go and also provides the necessary daily exercise.
If you ruled the world, what would you change first?
Weekends would end on a Tuesday.
Do you know an actuary destined for greatness? You can nominate an Actuary of the Future by emailing [email protected]
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