UK GRADUATES

Meet our people: Holly

Actuarial trainee - Retirement, risk and finance consulting
BSc actuarial science, University of Canterbury

"I don’t just apply my existing skills. I also build on them everyday. I’ve received training in pensions, regulations and disclosure, risk, investment, legal and compliance and individual calculations."

As a trainee actuary at Mercer, I work within a business area devoted to providing the best possible advice and solutions for the full range of issues that affect companies' retirement plans. We help design and implement defined benefit, defined contribution and hybrid plans and help clients manage related financial and other risks, as well as offering consultation on the governance of retirement plans for plan sponsors and trustees in line with the clients' overall planning strategies.

This is perfect for me, as it enables me to use the skills I’ve already gained as a graduate in actuarial science. From day to day this includes everything from calculating pension values for individuals and group schemes to carrying out test cases for our clients. I’m also involved in preparing company valuation reports, designing new spreadsheets for client use, valuing assets and liabilities for client planning and various other projects.

But I don’t just apply my existing skills. I also build on them everyday. I’ve received training in pensions, regulations and disclosure, risk, investment, legal and compliance and individual calculations. I’m also studying towards my full actuarial qualification with Mercer’s support, having been granted exemptions from some of the CT exams due to my university degree. My performance advisor has been a great help in this process by agreeing yearly objectives with me, making sure they’re met and providing feedback on work and progress to date. It is good support and constantly enables me to improve and ensure long-term success.

Learn more about our Retirement, risk & finance consulting business