As Ireland’s leading specialist actuarial recruitment agency, Acumen Resources has more than 100 Google reviews at a 5.0 average, alongside many more testimonials from elsewhere to complement these. A single review is, of course, one person’s experience. But when the reviews are read together over time, several themes appear consistently. We reviewed feedback from experienced actuaries, returning professionals, international actuarial candidates, actuarial trainees and hiring organisations, and grouped the comments into the themes that came up most often.

There are six themes in particular that came up repeatedly, from both sides of the desk: candidates looking for a role and employers looking to fill one. What stood out is that almost none of the feedback was about the job advert itself. It was about the value reviewers saw in working with recruiters who understand actuarial work from the inside.

1. Acumen’s Recruiters Are Actuaries, So They Understand the Roles

This is the point reviewers return to more than any other. Acumen is run by qualified actuaries, and the people leaving reviews keep coming back to how that gives them the advantage. Soham Kupale echoes the firm’s own tagline, describing it as “built by actuaries, for actuaries.”

Candidates make the same point.

That is the difference between simply sending roles and acting as a long-term adviser.

The same theme comes through from the employer side. Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chief Actuary*, notes that Paul’s actuarial background helps him understand “the technical requirements of actuarial roles and desirable career paths,” which in turn “speeds up the recruitment process” by helping to match roles with the right individual. As Debra McNamara, an actuary at MetLife Europe*, puts it, because most of the Acumen team are experienced actuaries it is “one of the few, if not the only, Irish recruitment agency who can truly understand a client’s and applicant’s needs.”

The broader point runs through all of these reviews: Acumen’s actuarial background shapes the quality of the advice, the relevance of the opportunities and the long-term career support candidates experience.

For Acumen, that understanding is central to the way the firm works.

“Being run by actuaries is the key differentiator. It means we understand completely what the client is looking for and what the applicant is looking for, and are best placed to make sure they match. We are not here for one job, we are here for a person’s career.”

Paul Walsh FSAI, Founder and CEO, Acumen Resources

Jenny makes the same point from the other side of a long career, where the reward is the relationship rather than any single placement.

“You get to know someone over years, and people come back at different points in their career looking for the next opportunity. Having that history, and building those long term relationships, is the part of the job I find most rewarding.”

Jenny Johnston BAFS, FIA, FSAI, Director, Acumen Resources

2. The Coaching Behind the Placement

The second theme running through the reviews is preparation. A lot of them credit the result to the CV and mock interview work that happened beforehand. Jenny is a certified career coach, and it shows in the feedback.

“I believe the interview preparation and mock interview I did with Jenny were fundamental to securing the position I wanted.”

James Callinan, Actuarial Analyst at MetLife*

Others say much the same. Anton Kobelev, Senior Associate at PwC*, credits Paul with prepping him so well that he was “hired after the first interview,” with help on the CV, the interview and even the work permit. More recently, Pengbo Wu credits Jenny with supporting him all the way from college internship applications through to securing a new role five years later, saying her industry knowledge and interview guidance made the process easier and gave him more confidence. Eoin King describes Paul giving him “useful tips and information to help me prepare for meetings and negotiations.” The coaching works because it is grounded in the technical and competency questions actuarial interviews actually turn on, rather than generic advice.

That preparation theme also comes through in Jenny’s work with actuarial students. Adrian O’Hagan, UCD Director of Postgraduate Actuarial Science*, notes that Jenny gives annual talks on interview skills and careers advice for students on UCD’s MSc Actuarial Science and Graduate Diploma programmes. He describes her as “an engaging and informative speaker” and says students “always enjoy and benefit from her contribution in both the short and longer term.” He also points to her “extensive and detailed knowledge of the actuarial sector in Dublin and beyond” and her passion for the work.

3. Genuine Care, Not Just a Placement

More than anything else, candidates describe feeling genuinely supported. The reviews repeatedly point to a personal investment in each candidate’s outcome, with Acumen taking the time to understand the person, the role and the longer-term career fit.

“When I received a call from Jenny after my first job interview, I remember thinking that she is someone who genuinely cares about your job application.”

Arushi Mittal, Trainee Actuary at Irish Life*

Vatsal Gomber, Actuarial Analyst at Athora Holding Ltd*, calls Jenny “a rare example of someone in recruitment who actually cares for the candidates she is pitching,” and Martin Harold describes a job search made smooth by her responsiveness and professionalism. That is a stated way of working, and Jenny’s key objective, as she describes more fully.

“The best way to describe it is, if I was searching for a role myself, how would I want to be treated? Responding quickly, talking through the different roles, giving an honest and detailed overview so the person really knows what they are applying for, and being someone the candidate can rely on. Open communication, and treating both the client and the candidate the way I would want to be treated myself.”

Jenny Johnston BAFS, FIA, FSAI, Director, Acumen Resources

4. Speed When It Counts

Employers value one thing above almost all else, speed. Actuarial hiring in Ireland moves quickly when a strong candidate is available, and reviewers on the client side want a recruiter who can keep up.

“Paul did an excellent job for Deloitte sourcing high quality actuarial candidates within a short timeframe to meet our growing business needs. I would have no hesitation in recommending Paul.”

Ciara Regan, Partner, Actuarial, Reward & Analytics at Deloitte*

Mike Claffey, an actuarial Principal with Milliman*, tells a similar story from the client side, describing the team sourcing and arranging multiple candidates for several vacancies over a limited period, so that “getting so much done so quickly was a great boost to our recruitment activity and success.”

Candidates feel the same pace from the other side. Andrew Whelan, Willis Towers Watson*, signed a contract within a couple of weeks of contacting Acumen, and responsiveness comes up constantly, with Pengbo Wu praising Jenny for being “quick to respond.” It is telling that “quick replies” is one of the topics Google itself has tagged on the reviews.

That responsiveness is not limited to permanent roles. Dom describes Jenny and Paul helping to secure multiple contracts over the years, covering “everything from CV updates to interview prep and rate negotiations,” and singles out the pace of communication: “Replies are near-instantaneous, advice is invaluable, they are the best in the business.” For contractors in particular, that speed matters, because opportunities, interviews and rate discussions can move very quickly.

5. A Network Built Over Nearly Thirty Years

Speed and good skills matching both depend on experience you cannot build quickly, which is knowing the market and the people in it. Acumen Resources has worked in Irish actuarial recruitment since 1998, and reviewers point to that depth of network and market knowledge as the reason the introductions are the right ones.

“Paul provides a consistently excellent service with detailed knowledge of the market, great access to potential candidates and a very thorough approach.”

Redmond Murphy, Head of Business Performance, SCOR Global Life*

That network is the real engine behind the matching, and it has been built through long-term relationships across the actuarial profession rather than through job board volume alone. The reviews suggest candidates experience that network through targeted introductions, practical market guidance and a better sense of where their skills will fit. Luke Keane says that after an initial conversation about his experience and the type of role he wanted, Jenny “only sent job specs that interested me” and gave useful insight into what specific employers were looking for before the interview. Daniel Vegas makes a similar point about the wider team, saying Acumen presented “high quality job opportunities” suited to his skills, preferences and goals, reflecting both the firm’s in-depth actuarial knowledge and its extensive network of contacts.

“Because we know all the clients, and a lot of them are actuaries just like us, we meet them regularly at Society of Actuaries in Ireland events, we know exactly what they are looking for and the type of person best placed to fit in and work with them. That is something no other agency can really offer, and it holds true today as it did twenty eight years ago.”

Paul Walsh FSAI, Founder and CEO, Acumen Resources

6. Actuaries Moving to Ireland

Ireland’s actuarial market draws people from around the world, and pulls Irish actuaries back home too. A distinct group of reviews comes from people who moved here, or returned after time abroad, and for them the value went beyond the role, into the practical business of actually moving country.

“I recently relocated to Ireland and Jenny assisted me with my search for a suitable position. She was incredible throughout the process, both during the search and in the period leading up to my arrival.”

Luke Taylor, Reserving and Analytics Manager at Allianz*

Others mention the parts of a move most recruiters never touch. Yoon Kwong Loh, ERM actuary at AIG*, thanks Paul for help with a critical skills employment permit application, and Kritibha Rai at Allianz Global Life* notes that after successful interviews the team also helped with work permit applications. More recently, Rama Arafat says Jenny was “always quick to respond and extremely patient,” even though her employment negotiations took longer than usual because of visa related issues. William Nolan, back in Ireland after a spell overseas, credits Jenny’s deep understanding of the Irish market with helping him secure a role on his return. For an actuary weighing up a move to Dublin, or back to it, that support is often the key difference.

The common thread: across all six themes, the reviews describe the same thing from different angles, a niche actuarial recruitment agency that treats candidates and employers as a relationship rather than a single event. That is deliberate. As Paul puts it, the firm does not advertise on third party job boards, it grows on repeat business and referrals, which only works if people leave happy enough to come back. More than a hundred five star reviews suggest they do.

*Denotes the person’s job title and employer at the time of giving the testimonial.