The team at PwC Isle of Man has been further strengthened through its professional training programme.

Actuarial consultants Andrew Simpson and Alistair Crooks have completed their exams enabling them to officially become Fellows of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), the independent chartered professional body.

The newly qualified actuaries joined the firm in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

PwC Isle of Man’s in-house actuarial team of eight is led by its actuarial director Johann Marais.

’This is a significant academic and professional achievement and I would like to congratulate and commend both Andrew and Alistair for their hard work,’ he said.

’Embarking on a professional qualification alongside work is never easy but PwC Isle of Man fully supports individuals with the drive and motivation to succeed and it is hugely satisfying to see Andrew and Alistair progress through the firm.

’Their achievements allow us to further develop the client services we offer, both within and outside the pensions and insurance industries.’

These include strengthening actuarial effectiveness, creating value through smarter use of capital, analysing big data and assisting with the implementation of new standards such as IFRS 17 for insurers.

Andrew said he was ’delighted’ to have passed and praised the PwC programme which combines formal training through professional qualifications, coaching and practical on-the-job experience.

’PwC is committed to the professional and personal development of its staff and provides business, personal and technical skills to help you grow. I look forward to helping provide actuarial consultancy services to a wide variety of clients from varying industries.’

Alistair said: ’A career as an actuary is a challenging but rewarding option.

’As an actuary, you are looking forward and making forecasts of future events.

’The predictive insights enable clients to act decisively on issues and help turn complex data into practical business solutions.

’This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the actuarial services practice and I am grateful for the company supporting my decision to qualify in general insurance. This should enable us to provide more support to the local non-life insurance market, especially to captives who might not have the capacity to have their own in-house actuarial functions.’

The Actuarial Services practice has grown in recent years with the addition of four graduates in 2017/2018 and an opportunity for a graduate to join the team this year.

Johann added: ’The practice originally started with just one person and has now grown to a team of eight consultants, with ambitions to keep growing the practice even further.

’Our people are an essential asset to the business and we want to attract and motivate our people by being a progressive employer. Developing an agile and adaptable workforce with a global mindset ensures we meet with confidence, the current and future needs of our clients across all markets.’

You can find out more about the vacancy for a graduate to join the team at: www.pwc.com/im/careers.

Andrew Simpson and Alistair Crooks