At the back Society news H E R I O T- WAT T
THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF ACTUARIES
Europe’s first Centre of Actuarial Excellence
The actuaries’ walk 23 June 2018
In an historic move, the Society of Actuaries, the professional body for actuaries in the US and the largest organisation of its kind, has named Heriot-Watt as Europe’s first Centre of Actuarial Excellence. The society selected Heriot-Watt following a rigorous evaluation of its mathematical and computer sciences (MACS) actuarial programmes, staff, students, contribution to actuarial scholarship and research, and the achievements of graduates. The award positions Heriot-Watt at the leading edge of actuarial science in universities and will further enhance its appeal to students and researchers from across the world. Head of MACS Professor Beatrice Pelloni said: “I am delighted that the international excellence of staff and students in the department of actuarial mathematics and statistics has been so prominently recognised by the denomination as the only Centre of Actuarial Excellence in Europe. “This award recognises years of excellence in teaching and research, starting back in 1972, when Heriot-Watt instituted one of the first UK degree programmes in actuarial mathematics and statistics. I am extremely proud of the staff and students in the school and of their hard-earned and fully deserved international reputation.” All the university’s actuarial programmes are also fully accredited by the IFoA.
SIAS
Pool tournament BY THOMAS LEIGH-ELDREDGE
In January, members of the Staple Inn Actuarial Society played fiercely to be victorious in the 2018 SIAS pool tournament. Eighteen teams of two, with their cues at the ready, played from the initial rounds through to the final set of matches where Eddy Martin and Paul Murphy were victorious and took home the crown (for a third year running). Teams also entered their creative team names, with the prize going to Patrick Cullen and Sam Fletcher for their team name ‘Balls Out!’. The society’s future events include the infamous SIAS pub quiz, the annual SIAS boat party and the annual dinner. 36 | THE ACTUARY | APRIL 2018
36-37 PEOPLE NEW__The Actuary 36
Save the date
In a departure from tradition, the Master and Master Elect will be holding a joint fund-raising event in the form of a film-inspired sponsored walk around the City of London and environs on Saturday 23 June, starting at 10.30am. To encourage both old and young to take part, there will be a choice of routes, one extending to 11 miles and a less strenuous alternative of around half that distance. Whichever route you choose, you will start and end at Staple Inn and, guided by a specially commissioned map (or app), have cinematic points of interest highlighted along the way, together with a few questions to test your film-going knowledge. The map will also show suitable places where you can refuel (bottled water will be provided but you are free to make your own lunch arrangements). The walk, for which you will be given a T-shirt, promises to be great fun, and its main aim is to raise money for the Company of Actuaries Charitable Trust as well as three national charities: Crisis (helping homeless people), the RAF100 Appeal and the Brain Tumour Charity. The walk will be open to all actuaries as well as families, friends and colleagues. If you would like to take part then please download and return an application form (bit.ly/2pHmNni). Walkers can participate in teams of up to six people, or individually; only one application form per team is required. There is a small entry fee (£15 for individuals and the first member of a team; £10 for each additional team member). Entrants will be sent instructions on setting up a Virgin Money Giving page, linked to the Charitable Trust bank account. We look forward to seeing you on what we hope will be a sunny summer’s day. This is the company’s main fundraising event, covering our two years as Master and Master Elect. You can support us by sponsoring via: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/The2Nicks For details, email alan.smith@firstactuarial.co.uk or keithbarton.work@ btinternet.com SAAX EVENT
Investing wisely BY RICHARD COHEN
On 7 February, the Southern African Actuarial ConneXion group, SAAX, held an investment-focused evening at Orbis’s office in Marylebone. The spirited discussion helped fend off the cold outside as we were bitterly reminded winter was still in full swing in London. We were joined by Bradley Shearer, executive director of Protagion, and Ben Preston, equity analyst at Orbis Investments, who leads the global sector investment team. Shearer, both an actuary and a chartered financial analyst, spoke about the concepts of searching for value and rewarding success, using analogies to explore the concept of ‘intrinsic value’ when selecting stocks. Preston walked us through using different ratios to review when making a decision between different investments. He also gave his view on Tesla vs Honda as an investment decision. To find out more, contact SAAX at contact@saaxgroup.org
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03/04/2018 09:41