10 July 2025
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) is delighted to announce that Paul Sweeting has begun his presidential term, taking over from Kartina Tahir Thomson.
Paul Sweeting, IFoA President, said:
“I am honoured to be taking on the role of President of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. It is an exciting time to be supporting our members and the profession and to represent the IFoA.
“The skills that actuaries need are constantly changing. Change brings with it opportunities. During my sessional term a priority for me will be making sure that we are equipping all actuaries with the skills to respond to these changes and access the opportunities they afford.
“Whether it is pensions, insurance, banking, investment, AI, infrastructure, climate or broader sustainability issues, actuaries can and must contribute. We have the technical ability, we have the communication skills, and we have the professional oversight that means people can rely on what we say. We have an obligation to be part of these big conversations and we must ensure that we are ready to take the opportunities as they arise.
“I would like to thank Kartina for her immense contribution as President over the past year, especially her role shaping the IFoA vision and the way she has driven member engagement and connection.”
Paul Lewis, IFoA Chief Executive Officer, said:
“I would like to congratulate Paul Sweeting on becoming IFoA President. Paul has volunteered for the IFoA for many years and has a deep understanding of the topics that matter most to our members. I look forward to working with Paul to support and champion our members and their interests in order to advance the actuarial sciences.
“I extend my warmest thanks to Kartina Tahir Thomson for her hard work over the past twelve months. As well as her personal support to our work, Kartina’s focus on member experience and engagement has fostered closer collaboration between the IFoA and our membership. On behalf of all IFoA colleagues, thank you.”
David Currie, IFoA Board Chair, said:
“Paul Sweeting’s experience and expertise will be invaluable as we navigate an exciting period of transformation and work together to bring the IFoA vision principles to life in our multi-year strategy for 2026 and beyond. I look forward to working closely with Paul over the next two years as we drive meaningful progress and innovation.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Kartina Tahir Thomson, for her impactful leadership and dedication.”
~ENDS~
Transcript of Paul Sweeting’s Presidential Address
Until recently, Paul was a senior advisor at the Hassana Investment Company.
He is an Honorary Professor of Actuarial Science at the University of Kent, and a Visiting Professor at Heriot Watt University Dubai. He is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, for whom he has acted as a volunteer for many years. He also helped design and wrote the textbook for the profession’s Enterprise Risk Management subject.
Paul has chaired a number of actuarial boards, committees and working parties, and served as Honorary Secretary for the Institute of Actuaries prior to its merger with the Faculty of Actuaries. Paul is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, the Royal Statistical Society and the Royal Society of Arts. In addition, he is a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary and a CFA Charterholder. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bristol.
Under the new governance reforms, he is the first President of the IFoA elected to serve a two-year term.
Hannah Patmore, Communications Manager, IFoA
Tel: 07519106714
Email: hannah.patmore@actuaries.org.uk
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) is a royal chartered, not-for-profit, professional body.
Research undertaken by the IFoA is not commercial. As a learned society, research helps us to fulfil our royal charter requirements to further actuarial science and serve the public interest.
Actuaries provide commercial, financial and prudential advice on the management of a business’s assets and liabilities, especially where long term management and planning are critical to the success of any business venture. They also advise individuals, and advise on social and public interest issues.
Members of the IFoA have a statutory role in the supervision of pension funds and life insurance companies. They also have a statutory role to provide actuarial opinions for managing agents at Lloyd’s of London.
Members are governed by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. A rigorous examination system is supported by a programme of continuing professional development and a professional code of conduct supports high standards reflecting the significant role of actuaries in society.
The IFoA is available to provide independent expert comment to the media on a range of actuarial-related issues, including COVID-19 and its long term consequences, mortality, pensions, life and general insurance, health and care, finance and investment, climate change and sustainability, systems thinking, uncertainty and judgement, and risk management.