Government Actuary Named Companion of the Order of the Bath

We are delighted to share that Martin Clarke, Government Actuary, has been honored as a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his public service in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023.

Since 2014, Martin has served as the Government Actuary and head of the actuarial profession in government.

Government Actuary

As the principal actuarial advisor to the government, he carries out several statutory responsibilities, which include public service pensions, the National Insurance Fund, assessments of the State Pension age, and the Personal Injury Discount Rate.

Martin has also guided the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) through a significant phase of modernization, growth, and diversification, including the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, GAD offers actuarial analysis, advice, and related services to government and public entities on an expanding array of topics, including pensions, insurance, investment, and risk management.

Background and career

Hailing from Salford, Martin attended Canon Slade Grammar School in Bolton before pursuing Mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge.

He became a fellow of the actuarial profession in 1982 and is also a graduate of the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

After a comprehensive career in actuarial and general management roles within the retail financial services sector, Martin joined public service in 2006 at the newly-founded Pension Protection Fund (PPF), where he oversaw the actuarial, investments, and financial risk divisions as the PPF expanded to manage assets worth £30 billion.

His later appointment as Government Actuary marked him as the ninth individual to hold this position, which has a history spanning over a century.

Unique challenges

Reflecting on his accolade, Martin expressed, “It has been an incredibly rewarding journey to leverage my professional expertise and business acumen in the service of the public.

“My tenure as Government Actuary has coincided with remarkable economic, financial, and health challenges for the nation, presenting unique obstacles that my colleagues at GAD have met with creativity and resolve.

“I deeply admire their efforts and view this award, in part, as acknowledgment of the contributions we, as actuaries and professionals, can continue to make in public life.”

Martin is set to retire as Government Actuary later this year. He resides in Market Deeping, South Lincolnshire, with his wife Julia.