3 August 2020
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) is delighted to announce that IFoA Fellow Brinley (Bryn) Davies is to become a peer in the UK House of Lords. He is the first qualified actuary to enter either House of Parliament for more than fifty years. The announcement was made by Her Majesty the Queen on Friday 31 July 2020 following approval by the Prime Minister.
Davies was nominated at the start of this year by the former Leader of the Opposition in his resignation honours list. His peerage is in recognition of his expertise on pensions policy and for his services as a qualified actuary, where he has worked principally for the trade union movement to improve and maintain standards of public and occupational pension provision.
Davies will sit on the Labour benches in the Upper House where he will offer his considerable expertise on many important pieces of legislation and public policy issues.
His full title is yet to be confirmed by the Lords’ authorities.
Stephen Mann, IFoA Chief Executive, said: “It is gratifying to see Bryn Davies’ hard work as an actuary in the pensions industry recognised at such a high-level. Actuaries have expertise in long-term risk management making them great problem solvers and strategic thinkers with a deep understanding of the financial system. Bryn will undoubtedly bring this strong skillset to his work as a peer in the UK House of Lords and we wish him all the best in his new role”
Bryn Davies, IFoA member, said: “I’m particularly proud, as an actuary, to take up a role in the House of Lords. I believe that the expertise I have gained during my professional life will be of value, particularly in promoting better pensions for those who will miss out under the present system”.
- Bryn Davies Biography
Brinley (Bryn) Davies has been a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries since 1975. He is Director and Actuary of Union Pension Services Ltd. He established Union Pension Services (UPS) in 1989 as a consultancy on occupational pension schemes, primarily for trade unions. Bryn has provided advice for the majority of major unions in the UK and also advised organisations such as the Trade Union Congress and National Pensioners’ Convention on the development of pension policy. He has also undertaken consultancy work for clients including the Equal Opportunities Commission; the National Audit Office; the OECD; and the International Labour Organisation. From 1985 to 1989 he was a Research Actuary, then a Partner, at Bacon & Woodrow, Consulting Actuaries.
In 1980, he was an elected member of the Greater London Council, representing the Vauxhall Constituency on behalf of the Labour Party until 1985. From 1981 to 1983 he was the Leader of the Inner London Education Authority. From 1974 to 1981 he was Pensions Officer at the Trades Union Congress, advising on occupational and State pensions and responsible for the development and implementation of Congress policy.