My roots are in Scotland, where I was educated. After a brief period working in Glasgow, I joined Swiss Reinsurance Company, and worked for them in South Africa for 26 years, then in Switzerland for 3 years and finally in England for 6 years before taking early retirement in 2003 to look after my terminally-ill wife.  

 

Professionally, I qualified as an actuary (insurance mathematician) in the early 1970’s, but much of my later career was in more general management functions.  

 

I became involved with Home-Start in Woking in 2005 and was able to use my financial experience and training as their treasurer.  In 2006, I was lucky enough to meet another widowed soul, from Oxford, and it was getting married to her which led me to Home-Start Oxford where I  gladly took on the Treasurer role here too. It has been quite a financial journey  since then!

Douglas Keir