ELLIE
Careers
HOWELL EVANS
Isle of Man
GROUP STRATEGY MANAGER AT RL360
Age? 26 Uni Attended? I did not attend university What did you want to be when you were 8? Doctor Favourite way to relax? A nice walk, a pint in the sun or watching reality TV! Favourite place to eat in the Isle of Man? Little Fish Café What’s your favourite possession? My sofa (it’s incredible, trust me)
What made you choose the company you work for? I’d previously audited life assurance companies on the island so moving to RL360 was a natural progression. I was particularly drawn to their ambition for both organic and inorganic growth and the opportunity to work in their M&A/Strategy team which was something different and allowed me to develop skills outside of accountancy. RL360 has offices based across the world so I was aware that there would be opportunities for travel which is something that has always interested me. My role also allowed for me to work directly with the Board of Directors and Senior Management Team. I was initially hesitant about moving out of my comfort zone and taking the role but it’s definitely paid off and I’ve developed a wider scope of knowledge and skills. What sort of professional training do you take? After finishing my A Levels I went to Durham University but realised university wasn’t for me for a number of reasons. Instead, I joined the PwC School Leavers’ Programme and gained my ACCA qualification 4 years ago. During this time period I worked on audits, liquidations, remediation projects and also ran training sessions for the associates.
MORE ABOUT RL360
Last year saw RL360’s parent company International Financial Group Limited announce its largest acquisition to date - a deal with Aviva to acquire Friends Provident International Limited (FPI), subject to regulatory approval. FPI is headquartered in Castletown, with offices around the world, and employs in the region of 400 staff. Its acquisition will increase IFGL’s combined assets under administration to $21bn and policies managed to 225,000. It has been a busy and successful few years for RL360 and IFGL. The Group acquired CMI Insurance Company Ltd (now branded RL360 Services) in 2015 and wealth platform Ardan International the following year.
INTERESTED?
Contact RL360: careers@rl360.com www.rl360.com/pages/careers.htm
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What do you do on an average day? Varies every day! I’m lucky to have such a versatile job where I’m never completely sure what each day could bring. In general I work on the integration of acquisitions and business planning with quite a bit of project management thrown in. I’ve also worked on analysing potential acquisitions, creating synergy models, sales forecasting and the assessment of the potential impact of regulatory change. What is your next step? I’m actually preparing for my secondment to Hong Kong. RL360 has given me the opportunity to live and work in Hong Kong for a 6 month period. The role will be a new one for me moving to work in the Financial Reporting team. This move will enhance my technical skills whilst developing, documenting and handing over new procedures. What advice would you give yourself as a graduate/school leaver considering the experience you have now? It’s something I still struggle with sometimes but I’d say, don’t worry too much about the future. Take the chances, work hard, do the best you can and you never know what exciting opportunities will come your way next! With hindsight I put too much pressure on myself to go to university when there are amazing career prospects on the island whether you do or don’t have a degree.
ON THE AGENDA