Together we gained public attention
Over the last year, our members have worked tirelessly to ensure that the voice of actuaries is heard.
From getting their message out on social media to contributing to publications, speaking at events to giving evidence at select committees, our members ensured that the profession’s voice gained cut-through across multiple channels.
The IFoA Conference
Our
first
hybrid event
Over
members booked to attend the event, either virtually or in person
sessions for delegates to choose from
Delegates from
countries, including Bangladesh, New Zealand, Madagascar, Zambia and Slovenia
Over
speakers
"Very informative and inspiring to be part of an open, collegiate and professional conference"
Our inaugural hybrid conference took place in June
The conference brought together members from across the profession to explore the theme of ‘Tomorrow’s actuary’.
The conference was a superb example of joint working between IFoA colleagues and members. Our thanks to all those who came forward to help make the conference a reality. From our volunteer cross-practice committee that selected the presentations to our Thought Leadership Curation Group who designed the thought leadership plenary sessions, our members once again stepped up to contribute their expertise and know-how.
A special thank you goes to all those members who took time away from their day jobs to prepare and deliver an array of thought-provoking, stimulating content, helping to ensure that tomorrow’s actuaries are equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed.
Here’s what some of our attendees said about the IFoA Conference:
"In general, the mix of practical and academic insights was incredible."
"The conference seamlessly brought together the actuarial community globally across specialisms, enabling us to grow together as a community."
"Great opportunity to network with colleagues across disciplines."
Our thanks to everyone who attended and gave feedback; it will help us refine and improve our offering as we start to plan next year’s event.
In the last year
We continued to host a wide range of online webinars and events, from the GIRO and Life Conferences to our inaugural online New Qualifier ceremonies. Our aim was to continue providing the range of career and thought leadership events our members have told us is important to them.
The voice of the profession
Over the last year, our members made three appearances in front of UK parliamentary committees. Our members' insight and expertise helped to communicate the IFoA message, ensuring that the IFoA and the actuarial profession were at the centre of these key debates.
In March 2022 Leah Evans gave evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry on pensions access and take-up in the UK. The IFoA’s submission tied together work on larger campaigns, such as the ‘Great Risk Transfer’, and focused on the publication of member-led research commissioned from YouGov on pensions freedoms.
Ahead of these appearances, our Policy and Public Affairs Team worked closely with Simon, Nick and Leah, as well as with relevant committees, to ensure that the IFoA message was clearly communicated to UK parliamentarians. Working together to complement our skills and abilities ensured that our messages could be heard at the highest level.
Effective campaigning
In spring 2022 we commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out research into the effectiveness of our reach.
The feedback was constructive and encouraging, confirming that the work we and our members are doing in raising the profile of the IFoA is heading in the right direction. Of those who have heard of the IFoA, 60% would speak highly of the Institute, rising to 72% among those who say they know the IFoA well or fairly well.
It's always very impressive when you have any dealings with them in terms of how thorough they are in terms of how they address any given topic at a policy level. They always research things very carefully before commenting on them.
Expert – Financial Services Associations & Professional Body
Actuarial Research Centre
Our Actuarial Research Centre (ARC) brings together industry, academia and practitioners to carry out cutting-edge research.
In October 2021 our hormone replacement therapy (HRT) study published its findings. This five-year study, in collaboration with the University of East Anglia, found that HRT could boost life expectancy among healthy women. Combined HRT can be associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer, but this was the first in-depth study to look at the impact on overall life expectancy using UK primary care data.
This project received some great coverage in both local and national media, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and The Express as well as a number of other media outlets. The conclusion was published ahead of a key debate in the UK Parliament on a proposed Menopause Bill, for which we provided a briefing, flagging the importance of free-prescription therapy.
More recently, renowned menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson, a GP and member of the government’s Menopause Taskforce, picked up ARC's research and wrote about it on her Balance website.
Continuous Mortality Investigation
Over the last year, the Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) continued to provide regular updates to the mortality monitor.
The CMI’s work received a lot of press coverage, particularly during the Covid spikes, and was mentioned in the following national media: The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Sky News, The Spectator.
The CMI received coverage in a wide range of trade press titles including Professional Pensions, Corporate Adviser, Pensions Expert, Pensions Age and Insurance Edge.
When the CMI calculated the mortality figures for 2021, finalised in early 2022, we worked with Ed Conway at Sky and Sarah Knapton at The Telegraph to provide exclusive coverage of the age-standardised mortality figures and the impact of Covid-19. The CMI is the only organisation providing regular updates on age-standardised mortality.
Actuaries Response Group
Identifying early on the seriousness of the pandemic, the Actuaries Response Group (ARG) formed and swung into action in early March 2020.
Since then, ARG has become an indispensable source of information, due to its expert analysis, balanced evaluations and evidence-based reporting.
ARG is now regularly approached for its trusted modelling and calculations, and its ability to interpret and explain in an accessible manner how different scenarios could unfold.
A number of ARG members are trusted go-to sources within the media for analysis on the pandemic, and are often approached at short notice for comments and analysis in advance of government announcements.
In recognition of their contribution to the pandemic, ARG won the Judges Award in the InsuranceERM 2021 Awards. Presenting the award, the judges said of the group:
‘‘Their research and analysis – all done voluntarily and shared freely – has showcased the risk management and modelling skills of actuaries.’’
Moving swiftly
In the autumn of 2021, ARG member John Roberts paid particular attention to the booster roll-out. Media appearances, particularly on the Today progamme, had a direct impact on changing the roll-out, enabling people to book their booster jab ahead of the six-month eligibility point. This made an immediate difference in accelerating the roll-out programme and removing much of the frustration people were having in trying to have their booster promptly, once eligible.
In the last year
ARG accounted for over 40% of all media mentions of the IFoA.
Members of ARG were quoted or interviewed over 60 times in the mainstream press. These included six live interviews on BBC News, both radio and television, as well as mentions on Sky, The Sun, BBC online, CNN, The Telegraph, Times, Guardian, Express, Independent, Financial Times, BMJ, Mirror, Daily Mail, ITV Peston and more.
The group produced around 30 blogs and bulletins, including maintaining their popular ‘Friday Reports’.
ARG Twitter was seen by an average of 1.3m people each month.
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