What first brought you to LCP?

I was working in Bristol when I was head hunted by the Winchester Partners at the time - Tony Cunningham, Richard Young and Richard Hawkes (all now retired). Ironically, they didn't know my Uncle Brian was one of the firm’s founding partners, the “Clark” of Lane, Clark and Peacock (although he had retired several years previously at the time). The Winchester team was only around 20 people back then and they were looking for someone to help grow the team – and the rest, as they say, is history!

What’s your favourite thing about your role?

I’ve climbed what we now call the “Climbing Wall” at LCP – moving across from Pensions Actuarial to now leading our Sport Analytics and Advisory practice. I'm doing something very different to what I've done most of my career, and being able to do that within the same organisation is fantastic. It very much feels like a start-up, which is an interesting and stimulating challenge, utilising a lot of the skills I’ve developed as an actuary, but in a different field and a different stage of evolution for that industry.

What's your favourite memory at LCP?

Handing over the Scheme Actuary reins on my last pension scheme client. I’d been their actuary for nearly 20 years, and we’d helped the trustees get through some difficult times to the stage where they were now getting pretty close to being able to buy-in all their liabilities. The trustees presented me with a lovely memento of our times working together at an away-day dinner in Winchester. However, the most satisfying part was their appreciation of our succession planning, with Victoria Snowden taking on the Scheme Actuary role seamlessly – and indeed if anything, they seem to enjoy working with her even more than with me!

What are your hopes for LCP’s future?

That we keep doing what has always worked for us – that we continue to grow, diversify and create opportunities for our people, while staying true to our partner-led culture and values.

What advice would you give to yourself 30 years ago, on your first day at LCP?

Be braver. For the first 20 years of my career, I think I played it a bit safe. As actuaries, we manage risk and that can make us instinctively risk averse, but I think getting out of your comfort zone regularly - not changing what you do fundamentally - but pushing outside your comfort zone is where the real growth happens.