What is your background and how did you end up at Arcturus?

Kees: “After graduating at the Groningen University, I started working as an actuary at Unigarant. There I was able to discover all facets of actuarial work as a first-line actuary and completed the EMAS (Executive Master of Actuarial Science). This was followed by Univé and EY, where I was able to broaden my perspective in the actuarial function and later as an auditor.

A nice anecdote is that Arcturus has always been a common thread throughout my career from the start. For example, Rachel Bonsel (now a partner at Arcturus) was seconded to Unigarant at the time, Patrick Dannenburg (now a partner at Arcturus) was a manager at Univé and I was a project leader during the implementation of the Arcturus Solvency Tool at Univé. During my time at EY, I also had contact with several second-line actuaries from Arcturus during (annual work) audits. At the end of 2022, I officially made the switch to Arcturus as a Senior Actuary, and “At the beginning of 2025 I was promoted to manager.”

Mart: “I studied at the University of Twente and, after my thesis project at Delta Lloyd, started working at Arcturus at the end of 2014. That instantly made me happy, because I could focus on everything that makes the profession so interesting: pricing, reporting, (Solvency) tool development, and I did various secondment projects. Interesting and educational to gain direct experience in many areas. And also, I had the opportunity to do the Postmaster APC.

Part of that education was to build a reflection report: looking back and looking to the future. Where will you be in five years? I realized that traveling a lot and being away from home is not sustainable in the long term. But moving closer, as a true Twente native? That was (and is) not an option! That is why I made the switch to Achmea in 2018, closer to home. However, Arcturus never really dissappeared from my view. For example, during my Achmea period I worked as a self-employed person on tool development for Arcturus. And now I’m back at Arcturus since the beginning of this year.”

Kees lives in Assen, Mart lives in Denekamp. Thanks to the possibilities of remote working, the chance to work at Arcturus did come within reach. Tell us about it?

Kees: “I already saw Arcturus an interesting employer, but with a young family and a two-hour travel time one way, working at Arcturus in Utrecht was not an option. Until the corona pandemic showed that remote working is perfectly possible. Patrick and I always kept in touch after Univé and in the autumn of 2022 I sat down for a cup of coffee with him and one of the other partners. It was a nice conversation in which we discussed my career options, and it also turned out that Arcturus had fully embraced hybrid working. You can imagine that my contract was arranged quickly.”

Mart: “For me it was exactly the same. The travel time from Denekamp is too long if you have to travel it every day. But one or two days a week to the office works fine. That means more time for my family and working efficiently. When I was approached for the vacancy of Actuarial Manager at Arcturus, that was quite a difficult decision. In my choice for Arcturus, the short lines of communication and opportunities for growth were the deciding factors”.

Kees: “In addition, our clients are spread all over the country. The client visits to the more northern cities feel like a home game to me. Of course Arcturus this into account when  assigning the various client teams.”

Nice story! What is it about Arcturus that appeals to you so much?

What kind of clients do you work for and what is the type of work you perform?

Kees: “Arcturus focuses on medium-sized and small insurers, those are our main clients. I currently work for four clients and, together with a team of colleagues, perform 1st and 2nd line actuarial activities. This varies from pricing and reporting to data quality, reinsurance and advising on sustainability issues. Besides that I am the coordinator of the internal Solvency Tool team. Clients use this Arcturus tool, and my job is to define improvement points with the team, set priorities and ensure that improvements are implemented. This is to facilitate our clients in calculating their capital requirements now and in the future.”

Mart: “I mainly work for a series of fire insurers. One of the partners fulfils the role of Actuarial Function Holder here. We have split the tasks and I am working with him to get settled in. In the first line, I am involved in pricing, reporting and new developments. In some time, it is my ambition to fully take on the AFH role.

An extra interesting element is that we not only work on an executive level, but also work strategically and respond to new opportunities. We think proactively and help fill in any blind spots for our clients. For example, I am currently working on the development of a tax model (LAC DT) and am actively involved in pricing issues. These types of projects ensure that we at Arcturus continue to innovate and improve.”

Kees: “As Actuarial Managers, we deliver, we coordinate the activities of the client teams and we coach and train our colleagues.”

The Actuarial Manager function is in full development at Arcturus. What does that mean?

Kees: “Arcturus has grown considerably in recent years. Where previously the partners directly managed employees, we are now in a transition where more Actuarial Managers can support them, to take work away from them. This enables the partners to focus more on strategic issues and to realize further growth of Arcturus.”

Mart: “We are responsible for the day-to-day operations and we coordinate the activities within the client teams. Both internally and towards clients, we are the first point of contact and we coach the client teams, especially on content. But more and more is being added. With a broader range of tasks, there is also more focus on soft skills and coaching. Together with all Actuarial Managers and partners, we will further shape the function in the coming period. A great challenge in a dynamic environment.”

You have a busy and challenging job. How do you continue to develop your knowledge?

Kees: “By learning from every customer and taking that experience with you to the next. Earlier, as a senior, I was involved in every detail, but now my focus is increasingly on knowledge transfer. As a senior, I was already coordinating, I received positive feedback on the coaching of colleagues and I grew in my competencies. You learn a lot in practice, through the trust you receive. That is how you make important steps.”

Mart: “I definitely recognize that. In the role of Actuarial Manager, you are a professional all-rounder and you help colleagues in the client team to grow. I like to transfer my knowledge to colleagues and I also learn from them. Everyone has a different training and development need, which depends on your role, work projects and ambitions. A lot is possible at Arcturus, together you check which training or course suits best for your development at that moment. This could be a leadership training, but also following actuarial PE sessions about a specific project you are working on. In April I will follow the PE session for LACDT myself.”

Team members work at different locations and also from home. Nevertheless, you mention the good atmosphere and the strong team spirit. How do you ensure that?

2025 is a festive year at Arcturus, which will be extra fun.

What makes your teams strong?

Mart: “We have a team of highly qualified professionals with diverse backgrounds and specializations. This complementarity makes us strong: we complement each other and continuously learn from each other.”

Kees: “Our teams are professional and work in an open atmosphere, in which everyone is open to feedback. This ensures that we achieve the best results together. At the same time we have a high degree of independence: everyone knows what needs to be done, puts the client first and takes responsibility.”