Board Member Candidate Questionnaire

Han Henry Chen, FSA, MAAA, FCIA

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Share a personal experience, trait, or characteristic that will help the membership to better understand you and your candidacy.

Born in China and raised in Canada, I bring a multicultural perspective shaped by my journey across continents and the actuarial profession. After starting my career in Canada and later relocating to the U.S., I’ve spent over nine years volunteering with the SOA—earning the Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2019. I’ve served in diverse roles, from exam grading to section leadership, and have helped launch strategic initiatives like the Actuarial Innovation and Technology Research program, PD Edge+, and the DEI Committee. My curiosity and adaptability have guided my path, and I’m passionate about mentoring younger actuaries and promoting the value of SOA involvement within my firm. As a Chinese Canadian and visible minority, I care deeply about fostering inclusion and inspiring future leaders from diverse backgrounds. I’m excited to continue giving back and helping shape the future of our profession.

PROJECT LEADERSHIP / CHANGE MANAGEMENT: Describe a significant project that you led in the workplace or in your volunteer activities. Describe how you made decisions and addressed changes that were proposed, whether changes were made, or were not made, after considering all options. How did you achieve buy-in in the final outcome, and what were the biggest challenges you had to overcome?

One of the most significant leadership experiences I’ve had was helping to launch the Actuarial Innovation and Technology (AIT) Research Committee at the SOA. I was invited to serve as Vice Chair when the committee was newly formed—a formative experience, as it was also one of my first leadership roles with the SOA.

At the outset, the biggest challenge was defining our focus. The landscape of “innovation” is broad, so we had to make intentional decisions on what topics would resonate most with members and deliver actionable value. Working closely with the Chair, I led discussions to prioritize key themes—such as emerging technology survey, process automation, cloud adoption, and AI/ML—aligning with member interests and the SOA’s broader strategic priorities.

Building visibility and member engagement from the ground up was another challenge. To gain buy-in, I focused on open communication with volunteers and SOA staff, actively encouraging contributions and creating space for new ideas. I also helped introduce transparent project selection criteria, which gave the team shared ownership over our research priorities.

As the committee matured, we launched several high-impact research projects and developed a strong volunteer pipeline. One of our successes was increasing participation by recruiting volunteers from diverse backgrounds and experience levels, ensuring a well-rounded perspective. Today, the AIT committee is a key voice in the SOA’s innovation efforts—and I’m proud to have helped shape its foundation and direction.

ACTUARY OF THE FUTURE: What does the future of the actuarial profession look like to you? What strategies should the SOA implement to grow the actuarial profession, especially in light of more competition for analytical skills and data science job opportunities?

The future of the actuarial profession will be shaped by our ability to lead in an era of AI, automation, and global interconnectedness. Actuaries are uniquely positioned to thrive in this environment—with deep expertise in risk, modeling, and ethical judgment—but we must evolve how we present our value and how we develop future talent.

As AI and data science roles continue to attract top analytical minds, the SOA must strengthen the actuarial pipeline by reaching students earlier, especially in international and nontraditional markets. We should expand partnerships with global universities, promote credential pathways that are flexible and skills-based, and ensure our curriculum reflects emerging areas such as AI/ML, automation, and behavioral economics. Our goal should be to meet candidates where they are—whether in North America, Asia, or Africa—and show them how actuarial skills can power their ambitions.

We also need to redefine our professional brand—not just as insurance specialists, but as adaptable, tech-enabled problem-solvers who can lead across finance, risk, sustainability, and innovation. This means amplifying actuaries who are already working in AI strategy, InsurTech, and automation—and using those stories to inspire the next generation.

The SOA has a critical role in growing this vision: by fostering global connectivity, supporting inclusive leadership, and building strong, diverse pipelines that reflect the future we want to lead.

INNOVATION / ADAPTION: How has your experience prepared you to lead through challenges such as AI, technological disruption, climate change and generational shifts? How would you guide a knowledge-based workforce, including actuaries, in addressing these emerging issues?

My professional and volunteer experience has positioned me to lead through disruption. As a consulting actuary, I help insurers modernize their actuarial functions through cloud platforms, automation, and AI-enabled workflows. I guide organizations through large-scale transformations—aligning data, technology, and talent—to prepare for a future shaped by rapid change.

At the SOA, I currently serve as Vice Chair of the Actuarial Innovation and Technology Research Committee (returning as a leadership role after serving as the chair a few years ago), where we explore the impacts of emerging technologies particularly AI on actuarial work. Additionally, through my role on the Professional Development and Content Creation Committee, I’ve contributed to special task forces focused on delivering timely, practical content on AI. These efforts are aimed at equipping actuaries with both the technical tools and strategic context needed to thrive in an evolving landscape.

To guide a knowledge-based workforce, I believe in fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and lifelong learning. We must empower actuaries to apply their expertise beyond traditional boundaries—whether that’s modeling climate risk, enabling AI governance, or designing solutions for new demographic realities.

I also believe leadership means creating inclusive spaces where ideas can be challenged and collaboration can flourish—across generations, geographies, and industries. With the right support and mindset, actuaries are not just adapting to change—we are positioned to lead it.