‘Keep your mind open to new ideas and people. As people dealing with uncertainty, we surely are never too knowledgeable, as mathematicians at heart, we should also nourish our curiosity and urge to reach logical and communicable conclusions’
Matthew Attard, Actuary at KPMG Malta studied MSc Applied Actuarial Science and graduated in 2020. In this interview, Matthew chatted to us about his time at Kent, his current role, and his advice for students looking to get into the industry,
How do you feel your time at Kent prepared you for working in the industry?
Collaboration and inspiration are two words I would definitely brand my experience at Kent with. Sitting at the confluence of Europe and UK, and coming from the small island nation of Malta, the ability to collaborate in a professional and enriching environment at the University has helped broaden perspectives, gain insights into new ways of thinking and understanding and also interact with people from all parts of the globe. Moreover the uncertain circumstances which my peers and myself found ourselves in 2020, together with the continued support and learning provided helped nourish a sense of adaptability and a sense of embrace to change; a characteristic which I have found to be indispensable in solving problems at work.
What did you learn in your degree that has been beneficial to you in your role?
Research skills and the ability to communicate the results from complex analyses to peers and non-technical people are definitely the skills that came to be most useful in my career. (Un)fortunately as actuaries we have become notorious for having complex minds, yet speaking in equally complicated terms. My experience at Kent has helped me familiarise myself with the core technical and professional knowledge, broaden my horizons to research and be able to explain the results of the team’s efforts in instances such as Board meetings.
What are your main responsibilities and tasks?
As the General Insurance Actuary at KPMG Malta, I am responsible for fulfilling the actuarial function for a number of clients. A fulfilling aspect of this role is being able to add value to clients’ operations through risk analyses and contributions to key functions such as pricing and reserving. I am also responsible for providing auditor specialists’ reports and overseeing a number of capital modelling, reserving and IFRS 17projects. Being part of a multinational network firm I have also had the opportunity to work with a number of clients from all over the globe, ranging from Bermuda to Ireland.
Are you working on any exciting projects that you can share?
Throughout my career I have worked on a number of interesting projects such as helping develop a medical cash plan for a local insurer and a number of IFRS 17 for insurance undertakings related to some very well known international names.
What are your plans for the future?
I definitely want to expand my knowledge in Data Science, a field I initially was exposed to at Kent rather accidentally as a last-resort subject choice but, which I quickly embraced. I also want to continue my development as a newly qualified actuary, albeit I’m just beginning. Ultimately I want to pursue my doctoral studies.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow the same career path?
Keep your mind open to new ideas and people. As people dealing with uncertainty, we surely are never too knowledgeable, as mathematicians at heart, we should also nourish our curiosity and urge to reach logical and communicable conclusions.
What was your favourite memory from your time at Kent?
I would say I would definitely never forget the first time I set foot on campus, meeting new colleagues and faculty staff. Studying abroad has always been something I wanted to do in life.