Government Actuary, Martin Clarke, has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023, alongside a number of industry figures, including Nest chief investment officer, Mark Fawcett.

Clarke was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath for public service, having been the government actuary and head of the actuarial profession in government since 2014.

During his time as principal actuarial adviser to the government, he has undertaken a number of statutory duties, including in connection with public service pensions, the National Insurance Fund, and reviews of the state pension age.

Clarke, who is due to retire later this year, is only the ninth holder of this post, which dates back over 100 years.

Commenting on his award, Clarke stated: “It has been the most fulfilling experience to be able to use my professional skills and business experience in the public service.

“My time as government actuary has been marked by extraordinary economic, financial and health stresses for the country, posing unique challenges that colleagues at the
Government Actuary's Department have risen to with flair and determination.

“I totally admire them for what they do and regard this award in part as recognition for the role that we as actuaries and professionals can continue to play in public life.”

In addition to this, Nest Invest CEO, Mark Fawcett, was named as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to pension savings, while Gallagher non-executive chair, Susan Carol Langley, was named as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for her service to the financial services industry.

Non-executive director at Rothesay Life, Galliford Try plc, Stelrad Group plc, Goldman Sachs International, and Goldman Sachs International Bank, Therese Miller, was also named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her service to the financial sector.

Commenting on the honours list, Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, stated: “Working in the public sector is a privilege and the individuals recognised today have gone above and beyond to serve the British people.

“I want to thank all those who have devoted their time to delivering exceptional public services, in particular those who have saved the taxpayer money.”

Adding to this, Fawcett said he was “both surprised and delighted” by the award, highlighting it as "recognition for the ground-breaking and innovative work everyone at Nest has done over the years to improve retirement outcomes for our 12 million members".

“I’ve been involved in investments for over 35 years, but my work leading Nest’s investment is the first time I feel I’ve been making a valuable contribution to society," he continued.

"We’re helping give UK workers access to investments previously out of reach to them, disrupting the pension saving industry so it’s not just focused on the wealthiest individuals.

“These are exciting times for Nest. We’ve created a sophisticated investment portfolio which includes financing new infrastructure projects, including solar and wind farms, and we’ll be investing in fast growing technology and biotech companies not just here in the UK but around the world.”

Share Story: