August 2016

From the Chairperson

Tom TottenBy Tom Totten

Our section has a new name: Entrepreneurial and Innovation Section (E&I). Over the past year-and-a-half, the council discussed and updated the section’s mission. We want to make sure that the section name makes it clear that corporate intrapreneurs and innovators, whether employees or self-employed, are a fundamental part of our professional community. This is the genesis of the section’s name change. The process was taken seriously. Council members proposed names; the number was narrowed down with a ballot and a second round of votes decided the final outcome. Now more explicitly than before, the section’s newsletter emphasizes the important role played by innovators in the development of the actuarial profession and business in general.

As we continue to strive to provide value to the membership, the council has worked diligently to provide relevant educational sessions at the Life and Annuity Symposium, the Health Meeting and the upcoming Annual Meeting. I would like to thank all of our council members for these efforts. Also, please be on the lookout in September for our second section-sponsored webinar, co-sponsored by Actex, The 10% Entrepreneur. The webinar will explain how you can use a minimal amount of your time to support entrepreneurship goals.

Finally, as I mentioned in a prior newsletter, remember GetAbstract. It is a great resource to read summaries of books when time is limited.

Thomas L. Totten, FSA, Ph.D., is a consulting actuary. He can be contacted at Thomas.totten@nyhart.com.