Momentum is an event organised by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries for nearly or newly qualified actuaries, I was there yesterday speaking on the Future of Pensions.

Being around talented committed people who have yet to lose the bright sheen of childhood is something.

Not that there was anything childish about the day I spent near Newport holed up with them.

Why do actuaries get such a bad press?

These are the good guys, the people who use data to work out what is likely to happen, who apply their statistical skills to a deep understanding of their chosen subjecct, life- pensions- general insurance.

And a more diverse bunch you are unlikely to meet. All ethnic backgrounds , men and woman on the same career tracks and not a hint of the public school superiority I find so prevalent in banking and fund management.

You only get one shot at this three day conference and it is one of the highlights of an actuarial student’s gestation from talented student to qualified actuaral.

I guess the answer to my question , lies in the subsequent paragraphs. Actuaries are seen as dull because they work darn hard, think deeply and care a lot. You don’t find them lying in the gutter in the early hours of a Saturday morning.

You could find them whooping it up in the early hours of Friday morning. Nick Hewer (he of the Apprentice) was the guest speaker and by the way he was carrying on with those singing, playin cards and enjoying a couple of bevs, he was as enthused as I was.

We are the richer for our Institute and Faculty of Actuaries  which is the world’s leader in applying  and maintaining actuarial standards,

Though I am not an actuary (nor even a failed one) , I recognise they are the carriers of integrity from generation to generation. For me, they set the bar on behaviour and set it high. Those who work in pensions , life and general insurance could do worse than spend time with them,

As I prepare to cross the Seven Bridge and return to my daily work this morning, I am grateful to have spent a day with some great people and a great institution,

Thanks