Alex Marcuson, Volunteer
Alex’s career started with Bacon and Woodrow in 1994 and has included three years in Australia. In 2010 he established Marcuson Consulting Ltd., a specialist general insurance actuarial advisory firm.
“My first involvement with the Profession was in the mid-1990s getting stuck into the vibrant GIRO working party culture” he says. “During my time in Australia, HIH had collapsed and a new insurance regime was being introduced, so there was a great opportunity for me, a young actuary, to participate in solving the challenges of the day. Back in the UK my volunteering is a mix of working parties and serving on the General Insurance Practice Executive Committee, where I have responsibility for the Professional Standards Committee.
“Volunteering has given me a chance to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds. It’s a great chance to grow your network, meeting peers from clients, competitors and regulators alike. You learn from working alongside industry experts and in turn share your knowledge with the leaders of the future.
“Last year I embarked on a new stage in my career, establishing my own consulting business. My volunteering network has been of enormous value in getting me off to a good start. Even now, it’s important to me to give something back to the profession.
“Volunteering lets you develop skills that differ from the normal workplace. When you are collaborating with clients and competitors on an issue, you don’t always see a problem in the same way. As a volunteer, you need a greater degree of sensitivity and compromise to find a solution.”