Joanne started at Hymans Robertson LLP in 2004 on a summer internship where she then worked as an Consulting Actuary from 2005-2013. She qualified as an actuary in 2010 and worked at Milliman from 2014-2015 before returning to Hymans Robertson in 2016 as a Senior Consultant and Actuary.
‘I enjoy the technical aspect of the role but even more so the communication of results, decision making and strategy that goes alongside that in working with clients. I use these skills in my role as a client director for a portfolio of clients which involves overall responsibility for the client relationship’ – Joanne Gyte, a Senior Consultant and Actuary from Hymans Robertson LLP talks us through her career as a senior actuary.
Why did you choose a career in the industry?
I wanted a career that combined mathematics with working in a people orientated environment. Following a summer internship in 2004 with Hymans Robertson, I realised I’d found both the career and company for me and joined their trainee consulting actuary graduate programme the following year. I then took the actuarial exams, qualifying as an actuary in 2010.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy the technical aspect of the role but even more so the communication of results, decision making and strategy that goes alongside that in working with clients. I use these skills in my role as a client director for a portfolio of clients which involves overall responsibility for the client relationship, consulting fee income and service delivery. I also lead one of our service lines, Trustee Secretariat Services, across all of our client base at Hymans and enjoy thinking of new ways we can better service our clients and win new business in this area.
I am passionate about the development of people and have enjoyed various roles in relation to this throughout my career, as a line manager and also a stint as the ‘people leader’ for our London office. As consultants we continually develop and I love helping with others careers wherever I can.
What is a ‘typical’ day like for you?
A typical day for me will involve a variety of different activities. I will likely review a piece of work for a client and have a few calls with them on a variety of topics. I might spend some time working on ideas for the service line, such as development ideas for our technology, or supporting a proposal to win a new client in this area. I might meet with one of the people I manage to check in on how they are doing and discuss their development vs their plans. At least once a week I’ll travel to one of our other offices or externally to meet with clients or industry contacts. I love the variety in my days that the role brings.
Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to get into the industry?
My advice for anyone wanting to join the industry is to try out lots of different things and work out what you enjoy and plays to your strengths. This applies both before starting your career via a summer internship, but also in the first few years of your career.
