Julie Griffiths, 1985

Julie Griffiths read Mathematics at Clare. After graduating she qualified as an actuary and has spent most of her career in asset management, most recently as Chief Risk Officer at Columbia Threadneedle Investments. In 2020 she became Master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, the City of London Livery Company for the actuarial profession, a philanthropic organisation whose charitable trust supports actuarial and mathematics education.

Who was your greatest Clare influence and why?

I joined Clare in 1985, the same year Viv Faull became chaplain, the first female chaplain of an Oxbridge college. Looking back through the lens of today it is hard to appreciate quite how groundbreaking this achievement was, and although I was not a regular chapel attendee, I always appreciated the quiet, understated pastoral care she provided to all the students. So I would name her as my college inspiration.

Julie's Story

I joined from a state school and one of my reasons for choosing Clare was its proportion of both female and state school students, although within the maths world women were still very much in a minority. I also loved the beautiful buildings and gardens that help to make it such a special place, and I still love going back there whenever I get the chance. In truth I did not really find my feet academically until my final year, and I have been delighted to read recently of the extra support the university is offering to students who may need it to bring them up to speed before commencing their studies, to ensure they are able to get the most out of the extraordinary opportunity that a place at Cambridge represents. In my third year I found my niche mathematically and this inspired my decision to train as an actuary, applying mathematical modelling techniques to long term financial challenges within insurance, pensions and investments. I can honestly say I have applied the skills and knowledge I learned at university throughout my working life.

Whilst at college, when I wasn't partying I was usually taking part in some kind of sport, and I am proud to say that I was a founding member of the Clare Ladies Football Team, the brainchild of one of my fellow students, Jane Purdon. Apart from Jane it is probably fair to say the rest of us had very little aptitude or skill, but I like to think we made up for this with our enthusiasm, and most importantly we laid the foundations for the future. I was thrilled to read some years later that Clare became one of the leading ladies football teams, winning cuppers and contributing a number of players to the University team - I hope my fellow team members also read this with pride!

Over the years I have enjoyed staying in touch with the college, and in particular was pleased to be asked to join the Investment Committee advising on the management of the college endowment funds and helping to ensure the financial security of the college well into the future. During my term of office as Master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries I had the privilege of hosting several dinners in the beautiful livery halls of the City of London, and was especially pleased to welcome the new Master of Clare, Loretta Minghella, as my guest speaker at Vintners Hall earlier this year. The experience of being part of the community of Clare College gave me the confidence and self-belief to take on a number of challenges throughout my career that initially seemed daunting. If I could say anything to 18 year old me it would be to seize every opportunity life presents you with to learn, grow and embrace new experiences, and never doubt that you are good enough.