The purpose of the Alternative Investments Forum is to expand the reach of the actuarial profession into the realm of the “alternative investment” practice areas. The specific asset classes currently covered under this definition of alternative investments include (but in future not necessarily limited to): hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, infrastructure and government projects. The committee aims to do the above by:

• Creating awareness amongst the profession’s members
• Developing appropriate professional guidance to aid members practising in these areas

• Education – keeping the Actuarial Society’s formal education syllabus up to date – to include and cover issues pertaining to alternative investments.
• Communication – to communicate and increase the awareness of alternative investments within the actuarial community and to the broader general investment market.
• Research – Creating platforms to allow research on alternative investments to be undertaken, which will benefit the actuarial community as well as the broader investment market and its participants.
• External partnerships – creating and strengthening relationships with independent external organizations relating to alternative investments, including the regulator.