Society of Actuaries Selects Gregory Heidrich to be Executive Director

• For Immediate Release: June 28, 2007
• Kim McKeown
• PR Project Manager
• 847.706.3528

Schaumburg, Ill.–The Board of Governors of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and its Leadership Team have named Gregory W. Heidrich to serve as the association's Executive Director, announced Edward L. Robbins, SOA President. Heidrich will begin his new position on July 12.

"After a thorough search and consideration of a number of excellent candidates, the Leadership Team and Board felt that Greg's unique combination of experience in association management, long record of proven capabilities, and knowledge of the actuarial profession made him the right person for this important position," said Robbins. "However, what has truly impressed us is his record of leadership by building long–term, trusting relationships both internally and externally. After an extensive review, the Search Committee and Leadership Team unanimously concluded that he is the ideal person to lead the SOA staff," added Robbins.

The SOA is the largest professional actuarial organization in the world, serving over 18,000 members and the public. The SOA provides education in principles of actuarial science, advanced education, as well as professional development and continuing education for practicing actuaries. The SOA also conducts research to develop studies of historical experience and techniques for projections into the future and provides the foundation for further expansion of the profession. The SOA's vision is for actuaries to be recognized as the leading professionals in the modeling and management of financial risk and contingent events.

"I am delighted to have this opportunity to serve SOA's thousands of members in Canada, the United States and throughout the world," said Heidrich. "The SOA's mission and work are essential both for our current members and for those aspiring to this wonderful profession. I am privileged to serve them. The SOA is an ambitious organization, taking on the challenges facing the profession today with bold initiatives and I'm proud to lead our staff in these efforts. The SOA is fortunate to have a fine staff team and I'm looking forward to joining them and working with our colleagues in other actuarial organizations to serve the profession and the public through cooperative efforts and valuable joint initiatives," Heidrich added.

Heidrich comes to the SOA from the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), located in Des Plaines, Illinois, where he has most recently served as Senior Vice President, Policy Development and Research. In that position, he was responsible for working with member insurers to develop public policy positions on all issues facing the industry, including extensive work on terrorism risk and natural catastrophe exposures. He has also led efforts to develop policy positions in a variety of other areas, including asbestos litigation reform, highway safety, financial accounting, and others.

He has been a speaker at industry meetings on public policy issues, worked with a variety of industry organizations to develop coordinated positions, and served as a member of industry advisory committees and boards for such organizations as the Workers Compensation Research Institute, Insurance Research Council, and the Institute for Civil Justice at the Rand Corporation. He has also represented PCI and its predecessor organizations in the work of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Prior to his current position, Heidrich served for a number of years as Senior Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer for the Alliance of American Insurers, one of PCI's predecessor organizations. He joined the Alliance in 1983 and has been with the Alliance and PCI since. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and Bachelors Degree (Highest Honors) from the University of Oklahoma.

He and his wife Alyssa have three children, all teenagers, and live in Wheaton, Illinois.