What we learned in Edinburgh: Sarah O'Brien looks back on the Life Conference

It was a pleasure to be at last week’s IFoA Life Conference 2025 in Edinburgh along with my colleagues from our life actuarial team.

This is the leading annual conference for life actuaries from across the world and it was a fantastic event with such great energy throughout. For us, it was lovely to reconnect with familiar faces but also to meet so many new people. We had some really productive conversations with both clients and potential candidates, and there was a genuine appetite to hear our thoughts and insights on the market.

In particular, some figures from our Life Actuarial UK Workplace Attitudes Survey, on display on the screen at our stall, sparked some interesting discussions, with attendees keen to find out more about what their peers are saying. Here are my top three takeaways from the event.

1. Cautious optimism in the market

With so much change in the life insurance space right now, there’s still a sense of uncertainty around job security, with many people exploring their options and keen to hear our views on whether conditions will improve in the months ahead. Even though some of the larger players in the market have focused on consolidation and bringing in new leadership hires, the pervading feeling was one of optimism and seeking opportunities for growth.

2. AI and BPA are hot topics

Artificial intelligence and bulk purchase annuities sparked a lot of discussion, with attendees reflecting on how evolving technology and automation are shaping team structures and hiring needs. These themes are also borne out in our survey, with 70.7% of respondents saying that data science/advanced analytics/AI integration skills will be the most in-demand over the next five years, and 54.9% saying BPAs and pension de-risking will see most demand.

3. Hopes for renewed stability and broader focus

Once AI and BPA teams are more established, there’s optimism that attention will shift back towards other parts of the market, bringing a more balanced pace of hiring activity. After all, businesses have built their value on products such as life insurance and protection-related products over many years, and it’s important that we don’t lose sight of these in favour of the newer areas that actually make up a relatively small proportion of the actuarial workforce in life insurance.

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Overall, it felt like one of the most engaging conferences we’ve attended, with a real buzz and people wanting to have meaningful conversations. If you’d like to find out more about the conference, talk about finding your next role or hire, or request a download of our Life Actuarial UK Workplace Attitudes Survey, then I'd love to hear from you.