The financial services industry in Scotland has a wealth of companies offering exciting opportunities for actuaries


MERCER


whole range of employee benefits, and there


has been particularly strong growth in developing communications around employee reward and saving for retirement. “It’s one thing to spend a lot of


money installing a good scheme but better still to ensure the employees truly value that benefit. The firm employs 540 staff, of


which around 200 are actuaries, and two years ago opened its second


We continue to expand and look for talent


JAMES ENTWISLE


Scottish office in Edinburgh. James explained: “Scotland is a


very strong market for us and we do a large amount of UK-wide work out of our Scottish offices. We continue to expand and look for talent with a broad outlook, be it at graduate level or experienced hires – numeracy and communication skills are important, but it’s the something ‘extra’ that we are interested in.”


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For more information, visit www.hymans.co.uk


MERCER, a leading provider of employee benefit consulting, outsourcing and investment services, has expanded its operation in Glasgow by relocating into new offices at the city’s landmark office development G1 – the city’s former Victorian Post Office building overlooking George Square. Steven Blackie,


Mercer’s business leader in Scotland, said: “This is an exciting time of development for us in Scotland, particularly as we plan for the expansion of our investment, risk management, outsourcing and consulting businesses. The move demonstrates our continued commitment to growth and investment in Scotland.


RBS INSURANCE


RBS Insurance is the largest home and motor insurer in the UK with household brands such as Direct Line, Churchill, Green Flag, Privilege, as well as partnerships with other leading brands.


Its offices in Glasgow play


a key role in its UK operations, comprising claims and customer relations, with support functions including risk, finance, sales, service, partnerships, and audit. As the leading player in the UK home and motor insurance market, RBS Insurance also has


ambitions to grow its market share in areas such as travel, pet and breakdown cover. RBS Insurance is also


entering a new era as it plans for separation from The Royal Bank of Scotland Group by the end of 2013. This means change on many levels, including improvements to the pricing model and the transformation of its claims infrastructure. To do this, it will need


significant actuarial capability to help it drive the right insurance pricing and reserving decisions.


The company recognises the value in diversity of thinking and the need to expand its search for actuarial talent. Caroline Mellor, Head of


Resourcing, said: “As we head into the growth phase, we face new and exciting challenges. Each of us is working hard to meet our goal to become Britain’s best insurer.


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For more information, visit www.joininsurance.co.uk


“One of the key benefits


is to ensure that Mercer’s 200 employees can come together under one roof and work even


and Aberdeen employing more than 300 actuaries, consultants and pension scheme administrators. Its clients range from small businesses to large publicly-quoted companies and multinationals covering a wide range of industry and service sectors.


Commenting on the


sector, Steven added: “Many companies continue to face


more closely as a team, while also allowing efficiency gains from operating on a single site.” Within the services sector,


Mercer is one of the largest employers in Scotland, with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh


tough challenges such as the need to respond to skill shortages, address the ever-increasing crisis in pensions, and reduce employment costs while keeping employees motivated. “In particular, there has been


a growing demand for companies to reduce the costs and financial risks of their pension schemes through improved governance of fund investments and outsourcing of administration services.”


7


WORK


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