Robert Watkin

I am a very experienced Scheme Actuary and client relationship leader having fulfilled these roles for 15+ years. I am currently Scheme Actuary to a range of UK DB Schemes with assets ranging from £30m to £2bn. During this time I have advised clients on the full range of issues from setting up new DB schemes as part of M&A activity, developing long-term funding strategies, overseeing benefit changes, running member option exercises, and managing schemes in low-dependency or through insurance. I have also acted as an actuarial expert witness in pensions litigation cases.

In my career I have been fortunate to undertake a broad range of roles, within our firm and for clients.  This has given me a wide range of skills which I feel have made me a better Actuary.  As an example, whilst at KPMG I received commercial negotiation training from Harvard Business School as part of a leadership development programme. I have built on this training over a number of years to hone my negotiating technique. I approach valuation discussions in a collaborative manner looking for win-win scenarios and working to avoid entrenched positions or positional bargaining. As you would expect I am also experienced in the board room with an ability to get to the heart of the issue fast and avoid getting bogged down in technical detail.