Phelim Boyle

Phelim Boyle, an actuary, is a professor of finance in the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada; he is best known for initiating the use of Monte Carlo methods in option pricing, as well as for his contributions in the area of quantitative finance in general.

Until June 2006 he held the J Page R Wadsworth Chair at the University of Waterloo. He has published papers on actuarial science and demography. Together with his son, Feidhlim Boyle, he authored "Derivatives: the Tools that Changed Finance", a highly readable explanation of the world of derivatives.

In 1977, his seminal work on Monte Carlo option pricing was published, facilitating the 1980's explosion in the world of derivatives; see Monte Carlo methods in finance. He continues to contribute in the area of quantitative finance. He has been awarded the Centennial Gold Medal of the International Actuarial Association and was the recipient of the IAFE/SunGard Financial Engineer of the Year in 2005.

Born on a farm in Lavey, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Phelim Boyle attended Dreenan School, Garron Tower and Queen's University Belfast (B.Sc., M.Sc.). He earned his PhD in Applied Math specialising in Physics from Trinity College, Dublin.

External links and references
Phelim Boyle
 * Curriculum Vitae
 * The Actuary Magazine: An Interview With Dr. Phelim Boyle

Publications
 * "Options: A Monte Carlo Approach" in the Journal of Financial Economics