The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) has announced the appointment of Mike McDougall (pictured above) as director of learning.
McDougall brings extensive experience to the IFoA’s executive leadership team as both a qualified actuary and a business leader with a proven track record in strategic and operational change.
McDougall qualified through the Faculty of Actuaries in 1992 and has held positions at Southern Life, Momentum, and Metropolitan Life. Since 2013, he has served as chief executive officer at the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA).
“I care deeply about the advancement of the actuarial profession and have huge respect for the work the IFoA is doing to support this. I believe that education plays a critical role in supporting actuaries as they move towards qualification and throughout their working lives. One key focus for me will be to maintain the underlying ethos of actuarial education – the strategic approach to risk management coupled with professionalism – while incorporating the advantages that technology, including artificial intelligence, can bring,” McDougall said.
The IFoA and ASSA have a longstanding relationship, with ASSA benefiting significantly from the IFoA’s education system. Recently, the IFoA adopted ASSA’s banking specialist exams. McDougall’s appointment at the IFoA is expected to facilitate even greater cooperation between the two professional bodies.
IFoA president Kalpana Shah welcomed McDougall’s appointment and highlighted his career achievements.
“I would like to give Mike a warm welcome as he comes on board as Director of Learning. As a qualified actuary, he has walked the road that our members are walking of balancing studies and professional development with a full-time job. In addition, our work with ASSA means that we have seen, first-hand, Mike’s commitment to collaboration with other actuarial societies and the wider profession. Mike’s experience and fresh perspective will be crucial as we continue to evolve the IFoA’s education offering,” Shah said.
“The IFoA has always been committed to providing a modern and robust pathway to qualification and beyond, and we want to ensure that the learning experience is a positive one for our members. It is incredibly valuable to have someone of Mike’s calibre joining this organisation and bringing his broad range of experience to our Learning team,” interim CEO Ben Kemp said.
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