The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries is delighted to announce the appointment of Mike McDougall as Director of Learning. Mike brings a wealth of experience to the IFoA’s Executive Leadership team both as a qualified actuary and as a business leader with a proven track record in strategic and operational change.
Mike qualified through the Faculty of Actuaries in 1992 after which he held positions at Southern Life, Momentum and Metropolitan Life. Since 2013, Mike has been Chief Executive Officer at the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA). The IFoA and ASSA have a close working relationship, with ASSA having benefited significantly over the years from the IFoA’s education and, more recently the IFoA has adopted ASSA’s banking specialist exams. Mike’s appointment at the IFoA will facilitate even greater cooperation between the two professional bodies.
IFoA President Kalpana Shah, said: “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 that 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.”
Mike McDougall, incoming IFoA Director of Learning, said: “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. I look forward to joining the IFoA and working with the Learning team and as part of the Executive Leadership Team.”
Ben Kemp, Chief Executive Officer (interim), 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.”