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Can you tell us about your start at Willis Towers Watson?
I originally decided to apply because I wanted to start my career at a well-known international company. I was looking for a place where I could utilize my skill set and continue to grow and develop. As a millennial, I know that there are often the fears of not developing and getting stuck in one position once you start a new role: my experience at Willis Towers Watson has been nothing like that! Knowing that I have the opportunity to develop and explore career options has brought me to where I am today. I decided to share my story because I could not be happier with the time I have spent here so far.
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
Like many people my age, I want to feel challenged in my daily work. While I love that Willis Towers Watson continues to give me challenges and opportunities, everyone is also very supportive. My colleagues are always there to support me through challenges and any learning lessons I may go through.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
I hope to continue to grow and develop and be able to help other colleagues do the same. I aspire to grow to the level of the amazing, experienced colleagues that we have in the Lisbon Service Center.
Based on your experience, what would you say to someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
I really appreciate everything I have learned and the continuous opportunities I have been given along my journey at Willis Towers Watson. One aspect that has specifically made the biggest impression on me are the efforts the company makes when it comes to inclusion and diversity. It really makes an impact and it is changing colleagues’ lives for the better. If you are someone who wants to be a part of a diverse and multicultural organization, as I was, this is the company for you.
Team Retirement
Segment Human Capital and Benefits
Location Reigate, United Kingdom
Year hired 2013
University/Degree University of Nottingham, BSc Mathematics
Personal skills or interests:
Learning Japanese, travel and playing with my French bulldogs.
Can you tell us about your history with Willis Towers Watson?
I joined Willis Towers Watson in 2013 on the Consultant graduate scheme at the London office. Early on, I spent a lot of time attending training sessions, studying for my exams, getting to grips with the world of defined benefit pensions and climbing the steep learning curve. I qualified as a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in 2017 and around the same time I began taking on more responsibilities at work. My role shifted to focus on advice specifically for corporate sponsors of pension schemes, and I also took on some additional roles including being a committee member for the UK LGBT+ colleague Inclusion Network. I now support Scheme Actuaries and Lead Consultants to provide advice, ranging from funding to de-risking for a range of pension schemes that vary in size from tens of millions to several billions, including multi-million pound projects which span a number of years.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
Truly no two days are the same. Given the unique challenges that face each of my clients, the work we carry out and advice we provide is never the same between project to project which keeps us on our toes! A typical day for me will involve responding to emails and phone calls from colleagues, other advisers or clients, attending meetings either in person (before COVID-19) or over the phone, and reviewing or drafting advice, usually with a calculator in one hand and a red pen in the other.
What else are you involved in other than you day-to-day role?
I’ve had a number of opportunities including managing interns and developing the graduate training programme, but my most recent has been leading the events arm of the UK LGBT+ Inclusion Network. The network has gone from strength to strength: we now have over 750 members and run several events a month, ranging from networking events to fund raising and movie nights. I also love being involved in organising coffee breaks for my team and hosting virtual quizzes to provide a much needed break during the day.
What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
The two biggest challenges I most commonly face are time management and stamina. While many of our projects have long-term timescales, there can be unexpected hurdles which mean you need to be flexible and manage your time well in order to successfully meet your client commitments. Stamina is also critical as you can quite often have busy days, weeks or months, whether it’s speaking to several clients a day or tackling multiple complex mathematical problems, so you need the endurance to keep going. Personally I find being diligent at taking regular breaks to be the main starting point for avoiding burnout and maintaining stamina.
What training and development opportunities have you enjoyed as a result of your role at Willis Towers Watson?
The graduate training programme for Retirement graduates is second to none. Coming from a teaching background, even I was blown away at how developed the programme was. It has since been further developed but for me, it was incredibly expansive, including a series of training modules that took place over a number of days, with a combination of written exercises, role-plays, practical and soft skill training and more.
However, possibly the most valuable training is what I received on the job. Learning and development are instilled in our culture, and colleagues constantly provide guidance and training as part of the way we work together. In my experience, this is particularly true of our Senior Consultants who are always willing to impart their wise knowledge and offer development opportunities to junior colleagues.
What’s been one of your most exciting projects to date?
In 2018 I was working on a project winding up a pension scheme by securing members’ benefits within the insurance market. This is a typical endgame for pension schemes although not many are quite at that stage, but I observed that this scheme was getting close. I ran some projections looking at the feasibility of a future wind up on the lead up to a client meeting and shared them with the Senior Consultant who suggested I raise the topic at the meeting. This culminated in the sponsor and trustees of the pension scheme conducting a formal feasibility project, which then led to the scheme eventually winding up. This became one of the very first deals of its kind in the market due to the scheme’s hybrid benefit structure of a defined contribution and defined benefit pension scheme, and the deal tackled the inequalities of pension entitlements between males and females.
What is your proudest achievement since joining Willis Towers Watson?
My proudest achievement is qualifying as a Fellow and passing all of my written exams first time. I put this down to a combination of hard work and the support I received from Willis Towers Watson. Between the generous study package, allowing me to pick and choose the materials that worked for me, and the proactive visible support of colleagues encouraging me to take the time I needed to study, the company made sure I had all the tools and time I needed to give each exam my best.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
Professionally speaking, we have some of the greatest minds in the field who are very open and collaborative, which makes for an incredible place to work, learn and grow. However, this doesn’t detract from the fact we are all human and can have fun – even some of the most seasoned actuaries in the office can be caught at the Christmas party busting some moves on the dancefloor!
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
I really value being part of such an inclusive and diverse team. I had a preconceived notion that all large companies in the financial services industry would be very ‘corporate’ and that I wouldn’t be able to relate to this new type of environment. However, my colleagues are so open, welcoming and represent such diverse backgrounds and each bring something different to the table. I also appreciate the support the company has given me to move from the London office to the Reigate office in Surrey, particularly around retaining my desired client allocations but helping to identify new opportunities in Reigate. Since my move, I’ve found what I believe to be ‘the best of both worlds’ – I have the large clients and complex projects that comes from working at a leading consultancy, with the benefits of a quicker commute and more green space (which is perfect for taking my dogs on a walk during my lunch break).
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
I previously completed my teacher training programme and expected that it would be looked down upon as irrelevant. However, it has been a huge benefit and was noted favourably in my recruitment process. Given that my job as an adviser centers around guiding and explaining technical concepts to a less technical audience, my teacher training was an invaluable transferrable skill.
I was also surprised to find people with such varied interests – whether that’s baking TV shows, sports or roleplaying games, you’re bound to find someone who has common interests with you here.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
My hope is to continue climbing the career ladder and be supported by the amazing colleagues and leaders at the company, as well as to help my clients solve their problems and deliver positive outcomes for pension scheme members.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
You must! Take the time to find more out about the company and the role on the Willis Towers Watson website and reach out to the recruitment team to get your questions answered.
Team Retirement
Segment Human Capital and Benefits
Location Reigate, United Kingdom
Year hired 2013
University/Degree Bristol University, BSc Mathematics
Personal skills or interests:
Knitting, crafting, sewing, cooking and anything else to do with channeling my inner crafter. I live in London and love going out to restaurants and bars.
Can you tell us about your history with Willis Towers Watson?
I was hired after university as part of a graduate intake. I have worked with a large variety of clients and taken on various different roles during my time at Willis Towers Watson. Currently the majority of my work involves acting as a consultant, advising trustees of a wide range of defined benefit pension schemes. I also do a small amount of corporate work and I have also taken on a managerial role in the team.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
In my role as a people manager, I need to keep in touch with my direct reports daily, allocate work to the appropriate colleagues within my team and help with wider long-term resourcing of projects. Being a manager provides unique challenges different from my consulting role, and no two days are the same.
For my consulting role, I need to make sure I work collaboratively with my client teams in order to complete work efficiently and in line with the required timescales. This can vary between simply providing a quick response to a client with some ad-hoc advice, to delivering a large project that takes place over a number of months.
What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
Having lots of things on the go at once can be difficult, but this role has taught me the importance of being organised and prioritising or delegating my work when needed.
What’s been one of your most exciting projects to date?
I worked as a Project Manager on a major project for one of our largest Reigate clients. This involved over 30 people and months of work. My role was to co-ordinate the different sub-teams and keep everything on track. Sending out the final reports to the client after months of effort by the entire team was probably one of the most satisfying and exciting moments of my career. Knowing that the team has produced something that will impact so many people can be daunting, but the level of care taken with deliverables in Willis Towers Watson can give you confidence and pride in the end product.
What is your proudest achievement since joining Willis Towers Watson?
The project described in the previous question was probably my proudest achievement and earned me a Circle Award from our CEO. However, I personally feel that the best sense of pride comes from how we work as a team and help each other. For me, the sense of “team victory” is always when I feel proudest of being a part of Willis Towers Watson.
What training and development opportunities have you enjoyed as a result of your role at Willis Towers Watson?
I completed the graduate training programme during my first two years at the company which was invaluable. This programme provides the vital base of knowledge which underlies the work that we do. More informally, a huge amount of training and development comes from working on the job day-to-day and, in particular, from working closely with senior colleagues and learning from their experience. Being in such a large company enables me to work with a wide variety of people and therefore learn new things from each of them. I am still learning new things each day.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
Like the rest of the world, 2020 has been an odd year for us. I think that the collaborative culture at Willis Towers Watson was highlighted during that period. People are so supportive, take time to check on their colleagues and always have time for each other.
Unlike many other companies, to shine here you just need to complete work to a high quality and people will notice and appreciate it. The culture lends itself to this way of working.
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
Willis Towers Watson provides so many opportunities and a wide variety of clients and projects to work on. But for me personally, the people are the best part about working here without a doubt. I’ve learnt so much from the people around me and will continue to do so. I can’t remember a day where someone didn’t teach me something, or a day where I didn’t laugh working here. I’ve made lifelong friends at Willis Towers Watson and for that I am very grateful – my graduate year intake still all go away together every year!
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
For such a large company, there is still a small team feel where everyone knows everyone. We have so many people who are experts in their field, and you will inevitably end up working with many of them at some stage in your career.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
I am looking forward to exploring the various opportunities that are available to me at Willis Towers Watson and hope that in the future I will have a breadth of knowledge and experience in a wide range of work. I hope that in years to come I am still learning and doing new things.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
Do it!
Équipe Retraite
Département Capital humain et avantages sociaux
Lieu Reigate (Royaume-Uni)
Niveau d’expérience Stagiaire
Diplôme universitaire Collègue St. Stephen, Université de Delhi, Inde, baccalauréat ès sciences (avec honneurs) en mathématiques
Pourquoi avoir décidé de faire un stage chez Willis Towers Watson?
M’étant préparée à divers examens d’actuariat à l’université, je voulais comprendre comment mes connaissances théoriques étaient mises en pratique. Chez Willis Towers Watson, j’ai pu travailler dans le cadre de dossiers portant sur les plus grands régimes de pension du pays. C’était l’occasion rêvée d’apprendre les bases de l’industrie.
Racontez-nous votre parcours professionnel chez Willis Towers Watson, ayant commencé comme stagiaire.
J’ai entamé ma carrière en tant que stagiaire chez Willis Towers Watson Inde il y a quelques années. Je travaille maintenant comme chargée actuarielle dans les bureaux du Royaume-Uni. Ayant œuvré comme chargée actuarielle pour un régime d’avantages à prestation déterminée en Inde, je voulais me familiariser avec l’industrie des pensions d’un autre pays. Willis Towers Watson est l’une des plus grandes entreprises d’actuariat et elle est présente dans le monde entier. Ceci a facilité ma mutation vers un autre pays. J’ai postulé un emploi au Royaume-Uni, j’ai été contactée par les RH et, après plusieurs entrevues de fond, j’ai reçu une offre de transfert.
L’équipe de mobilité de Willis Towers Watson m’a permis de faire une transition en douceur. J’ai été soutenue du début jusqu’à la fin. Ce changement majeur dans ma vie a été motivé par mon ambition professionnelle. Maintenant que je suis au Royaume-Uni depuis 10 mois, je crois sincèrement que mon transfert m’a aidé à progresser tant professionnellement que personnellement.
Quelles étaient vos responsabilités de stagiaire?
En tant que stagiaire, je suivais et observais les consultants lors de la rédaction de rapports d’évaluation comptable destinés aux clients. Cela m’a permis de bien comprendre l’incidence qu’ont les passifs de retraite sur la comptabilité des multinationales. En m’appliquant à créer des chiffriers servant aux processus automatisés, j’ai affuté mes connaissances du logiciel Excel.
Quelles formations et sessions de développement l’entreprise vous a-t-elle offertes dans le cadre de votre stage?
Willis Towers Watson offre un vaste programme de formations et un soutien aux études. Pour réussir en tant qu’actuaire, nous devons savoir maintenir un équilibre entre le travail, les études et la vie sociale. Les généreuses politiques d’aide aux études ont facilité les choses. De plus, notre équipe participait souvent à des événements sociaux. J’ai pu y rencontrer des experts-conseil chevronnés et des actuaires; en savoir plus sur leur expérience m’a été réellement bénéfique.
Quels ont été les moments forts de votre expérience chez Willis Towers Watson?
Au tout début de ma carrière, j’ai eu la chance de travailler avec un expert-conseil chevronné. Nous avons accompagné le client dans la mise en œuvre d’un régime de retraite à prestation déterminée proposé par le gouvernement. Il fallait gérer un projet comptant plusieurs parties prenantes et respecter de très courts délais. Nous avons tout d’abord choisi un administrateur externe, puis nous nous sommes entretenus avec la direction de l’entreprise pour valider qu’ils avaient bien la plateforme nécessaire à la mise en œuvre du nouveau régime de pension pour employés.
J’ai assisté à des réunions avec le client et j’ai collaboré avec des experts des communications dans la préparation de contenu de sensibilisation des employés. Je me suis donc grandement familiarisée avec la gestion de projets et avec le client.
Comment décririez-vous la culture d’entreprise de Willis Towers Watson?
La culture d’entreprise est diversifiée. Il y a quelque chose pour tous et chacun. Un des éléments que je préfère, dans ce travail, est la possibilité d’interagir avec des membres de l’équipe, peu importe leur niveau hiérarchique. J’apprécie le fait de pouvoir apprendre de nouvelles choses d’actuaires chevronnés. J’apprécie également toute la reconnaissance exprimée à mon égard non seulement par mon gestionnaire, mais également par mes collègues directs.
Équipe Retraite
Département Capital humain et avantages sociaux
Lieu : Édimbourg (Écosse)
Embauchée en 2009
Diplôme universitaire Baccalauréat ès sciences en Mathématiques et statistiques actuarielles de l’Université Heriot-Watt
Intérêts personnels :
Nourrir ma créativité grâce aux cours de musique, au jeu libre et à la confection d’images en macaronis, avec ma fille d’un an.
Racontez-nous votre parcours chez Willis Towers Watson.
J’ai été embauchée comme experte-conseil. J’agissais comme conseillère auprès des fiduciaires de régimes de retraite à prestations déterminées et je portais assistance à l’expert-conseil actuaire principal des régimes. Par la suite, je suis devenue actuaire des régimes pour les comptes des clients. J’ai également été affectée en détachement auprès d’une banque cliente. Mon rôle était d’aider leur équipe à traverser une période de changements réglementaires affectant les régimes de retraite. Plus tard, j’ai réorienté ma carrière vers l’amortissement des risques de régimes de retraite. Il s’agissait de minimiser les risques associés aux régimes de retraite grâce à l’achat groupé de rentes dans le marché des assurances. Aujourd’hui, je suis directrice de la division Retraite à Édimbourg. Je m’occupe de l’orientation stratégique de notre équipe, des revenus et de la croissance, ainsi que du rendement global de l’équipe.
Quelles sont vos responsabilités quotidiennes?
En tant que directrice du bureau d’Édimbourg, mes journées ne se ressemblent jamais, elles sont imprévisibles… Et j’adore ça! Il m’arrive de passer une semaine sur la route, me promenant d’une ville à l’autre de l’Écosse pour diriger l’organisation d’événements dans les marchés régionaux et pour promouvoir notre marque et nos solutions. Puis, la semaine d’après, je me retrouve en huis clos avec des membres de mon équipe cadre à discuter de stratégies d’entreprise pour la prochaine année.
Quels sont les défis principaux auxquels vous faites face? Comment les relevez-vous?
Le temps est une denrée rare. De nos jours, c’est comme ça dans presque tous les emplois. Puisque j’ai une fille d’un an, le temps que je peux accorder à mon travail est compté. L’entreprise a cependant toujours été d’un grand soutien, alors que je devais composer avec des changements dans ma vie. J’ai eu l’occasion de remanier plusieurs priorités professionnelles, ce qui me permet d’obtenir les meilleurs résultats possibles au sein de mon équipe.
Quelles formations et sessions de développement l’entreprise vous a-t-elle offertes dans le cadre de votre poste?
J’ai eu la chance d’être choisie pour participer au programme de formation pour leaders émergeants il y a quelques années. Le programme durait deux ans et rassemblait plus de 30 collègues de partout en Europe. J’ai fait la connaissance de personnes brillantes, mais mieux encore, d’amis chers. J’ai appris à m’ouvrir aux expériences comme celle-ci. On ne sait jamais où elles vous mèneront.
L’ouverture à la nouveauté, c’est une façon de se développer. Il faut être courageux et parfois sortir des sentiers battus plutôt que de suivre la voie tracée. Le travail chez Willis Towers Watson permet une importante mutabilité étant donné la large gamme de services offerts. Vos compétences se développement petit à petit. Avec le temps, les postes auxquels vous accédez sont souvent bien différents de ceux que vous aviez envisagés dans votre plan de carrière.
Quel a été votre projet le plus passionnant jusqu’à présent?
Dans le cadre du programme pour leaders émergeants, la cohorte a été divisée en petits groupes. Notre groupe avait pour projet de prévoir l’ensemble des avantages sociaux de 2025. Il nous était possible de communiquer avec des leaders chevronnés et nous avions accès aux dispositifs de recherche de l’entreprise. Nous avons eu l’occasion de voyager en Europe; à Madrid, à Munich et à Londres. L’objectif final était de proposer un projet au comité de leadership de l’entreprise et de leur offrir des pistes de développement des activités pour l’avenir. Faire entendre nos idées sur l’avenir de l’organisation était fantastique, et nous avons d’autant plus apprécié la liberté que conférait un tel projet.
De quoi êtes-vous le plus fière depuis votre arrivée chez Willis Towers Watson?
Je suis fière que l’on m’ait permis de faire une différence au sein de l’équipe régionale en m’accordant le poste de directrice du bureau d’Édimbourg et que l’on m’ait confié la gestion d’une équipe de 40 membres. Ce poste me donne l’occasion d’embaucher les plus grands talents. J’ai la responsabilité de leur attribuer des projets qui leur conviennent afin qu’ils puissent – et que notre équipe puisse – s’accomplir pleinement.
Comment décririez-vous la culture d’entreprise de Willis Towers Watson?
C’est une culture grandement collaborative et solidaire. Je ne cesse d’être ébahie par la générosité de mes collègues les uns envers les autres. Qui plus est, ils savent mettre le client au cœur de leurs décisions et obtenir d’excellents résultats.
Quel est l’aspect de votre travail que vous préférez?
Faire partie d’une si grande organisation, c’est avoir accès aux meilleures idées pour vos clients. Toutefois, il existe toujours une atmosphère amicale qu’on attribuerait à une petite entreprise. On sent bien l’esprit d’équipe.
Qu’est-ce qui vous surprend dans l’exercice de vos fonctions?
À quel point l’environnement est collaboratif. Étant donné la grande taille de l’organisation, je ne cesse d’être surprise par tout le soutien et par tous les liens qui se créent entre les différents milieux.
Qu’attendez-vous de votre carrière dans l’avenir?
J’espère pouvoir continuer à occuper un poste que j’adore. Mon travail chez Willis Towers Watson continuera de me stimuler et de me pousser à me dépasser. Je sais également que j’aurai l’occasion d’emprunter les chemins que je voudrai, selon les compétences et les intérêts que je développerai. J’adore collaborer avec nos clients et les membres de mon équipe. Peu importe ce que l’avenir me réserve, je sais que ces éléments en feront partie.
En vous inspirant de votre expérience, pouvez-vous donner des conseils à quelqu’un qui envisage une carrière chez Willis Towers Watson?
Foncez! Je suis ravie de m’être lancée. J’étais très heureuse chez mon ancien employeur et ça m’a pris un certain moment avant de faire le grand saut. Mais depuis, je n’ai jamais regretté. Les possibilités qui s’offrent à vous sont innombrables. Ce qu’il y a de plus important, pour moi, c’est la culture fantastique.