A role running a prominent financial services industry association remains up for grabs, six weeks after the incumbent resigned.

The Council of the Institute of Actuaries has mandated Johnson Executive Search to help fill its chief executive officer role, soon to be vacated when John Maroney departs to take up an appointment by the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland as a member of the secretariat of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.

The President of The Institute of Actuaries, Trevor Thompson, said the CEO’s role was to raise the profile of the actuarial profession within government and the business community in Australia.

“The CEO of The Institute of Actuaries of Australia is a broad leadership role and the Council will be seeking to make a high impact appointment,” Thompson said.

While it is important the CEO of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia brings broad experience across the financial services industry, they will not necessarily come out of the actuarial profession, Thompson added.

Partner at Johnson Executive Search, Lynn Muirhead, is running the search.

Meanwhile, the Institute has honoured the first actuary to swim the English Channel, Kaise Stephan, with the award of Actuary of the Year 2009.

The Actuary of the Year award recognises an individual who has made a key contribution to business, the community, government or the profession. Stephan – who is Chief Actuary at Munich Re – recently swam the English Channel in 12 hours and 34 minutes, raising over $160,000 for the oncology unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.