Board Member Candidate Questionnaire

Murshid Kuttihassan, FSA, MAAA, CERA, FCIA

AI / Technology

Describe your experience understanding, applying, and/or overseeing technology, particularly AI, data, and analytics to support strategy, operations, and decision-making, including how you consider technology’s limitations, risks, and impacts on business models, workforce needs, governance, and long-term growth. 

My experience with technology spans more than two decades and began before my actuarial career. I hold an engineering degree, worked in software engineering, am a certified programmer, and have experience with databases, analytics platforms, and business technology solutions. Throughout my career, I have operated at the intersection of actuarial science, risk management, and technology.

In insurance and consulting roles, I have overseen modeling platforms, data analytics, automation, and technology transformation supporting pricing, valuation, capital management, ALM, risk management, and regulatory reporting. I currently lead AI adoption across Financial Services Risk at EY Global Delivery Services, implementing practical AI solutions that improve productivity, decision-making, and service delivery.

A tangible measure of this work: my team won first runner-up in an internal EY AI competition against teams from dedicated technology competencies — an actuarial team placing ahead of technology specialists reflects the capability we have built and our practical approach to AI.

AI offers significant opportunities but also introduces risks related to reliability, data quality, governance, security, and workforce readiness. Balancing both is central to my approach.

Looking ahead, actuaries should take greater ownership of technology and AI rather than remain passive consumers of systems developed by others. We should develop the skills, governance frameworks, and leadership needed to oversee technologies influencing actuarial outcomes. By combining quantitative analysis, risk management, and professional judgment with emerging technology capabilities, actuaries can expand their relevance and continue providing trusted leadership in a rapidly changing environment.

Board Experience and Readiness

Describe your prior nonprofit or corporate board experience and how you approach the board’s governance role (strategic oversight and mission stewardship), including how you distinguish governance from management and how you uphold fiduciary duties (care, loyalty, and obedience) in acting in the best interests of the organization.

Throughout my career, I have exercised governance responsibilities involving strategic oversight, stakeholder accountability, and fiduciary judgment, even without a formal board title.

As Chair of the SOA India Committee and a member of the International Committee and Member Leadership Advisory Council, I have represented member interests, contributed to strategic discussions, and helped align volunteer efforts with the SOA's broader mission.

Leading organizations of 200 to 280 actuarial professionals across multiple geographies has required many of the same disciplines as effective board service: separating strategic direction from operational execution, challenging assumptions, holding leadership accountable, and making long-term decisions under uncertainty.

The distinction between governance and management is clear to me. The board sets direction, evaluates strategy, oversees risk, and safeguards the mission. Management executes. Confusing these roles weakens both. The duty of care requires informed, evidence-based decision making that engages with complexity rather than deferring to consensus. The duty of loyalty requires placing member and organizational interests above personal or professional considerations while avoiding actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Where ambiguity exists, the appropriate response is transparency, consultation, and clear documentation so that decisions remain visible and accountable. Doing the right thing is not sufficient; the process must also withstand scrutiny. The duty of obedience requires ensuring decisions remain aligned with the SOA's mission, governing principles, and ethical obligations.

Corporate Leadership

Describe your senior leadership experience in corporate and/or not-for-profit environments, including examples of leading people, guiding decision-making, managing complexity, and providing strategic direction while upholding strong governance standards. 

My leadership experience spans insurance and consulting, with responsibility for large actuarial organizations serving multiple geographies and stakeholders.

At MetLife, I led the growth of the actuarial organization in India from approximately 60 professionals to more than 280 actuaries over a four-year period. The organization supported operations across the U.S., EMEA, Asia, and Latin America. My responsibilities included strategy, workforce planning, talent development, governance, stakeholder management, and transformation initiatives. I developed training programs, built leadership pipelines, and redesigned operating models while maintaining strong controls and service quality.

Currently, I lead a team of approximately 200 actuarial professionals at EY Global Delivery Services supporting clients and teams across more than 40 countries. Our work spans Life, P&C, Pension, and Investment services. In this role, I work with global partners and leaders to shape strategy, build capabilities, allocate investments, manage growth, and navigate business and talent challenges.

Throughout my career, I have balanced the needs of clients, employees, regulators, professional bodies, and business leaders. Many decisions have required managing competing priorities, assessing risk, and making long-term investments in people, technology, and capabilities.

I believe effective leadership requires strategic thinking, transparency, accountability, and developing future leaders. Equally important is maintaining strong governance and professional standards. As an actuary, I have emphasized that business objectives, compliance, risk management, and professional responsibilities must be pursued together rather than viewed as competing priorities. These principles guide my leadership.

Financial Oversight

Describe your experience providing financial oversight in a corporate setting, including your ability to understand and scrutinize key financial documents and reports, identify financial risks, develop mitigation strategies, and ensure regulatory compliance. 

Financial oversight has been central to my career. As a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, CFA Charterholder, and Financial Risk Manager (FRM), I have spent over two decades analyzing financial performance, assessing risk, and operating within highly regulated environments.

My experience spans life insurance, pensions, investments, consulting, and risk management. I have worked with financial statements, actuarial reports, capital assessments, stress testing, and regulatory filings covering US GAAP, IFRS, Solvency II, capital management, embedded value, asset-liability management, and financial forecasting, requiring a deep understanding of how diverse risks affect performance and sustainability.

In leadership roles at MetLife and EY, I have evaluated business performance, reviewed operational metrics, supported resource allocation, and assessed the financial implications of strategic initiatives, working closely with finance teams, auditors, and senior executives on reporting, governance, and compliance.

At MetLife, I governed the actuarial development program, devising policies that supported professional development while closing loopholes and preventing errors from weak controls.

A leader's actions set the tone for the organization. Culture is shaped by what leaders prioritize and whether they model the standards they expect from others. Leading by example is a form of governance oversight.

Effective oversight requires understanding not only reported results but also the assumptions, incentives, and emerging risks influencing future outcomes. I believe strong financial oversight requires transparency, accountability, and a long-term perspective. These principles have guided my leadership and would continue to guide my contributions as a member of the SOA Board.

Global

Describe your international experience (e.g., multinational corporations or significant projects abroad) and how your understanding of global markets, cross-cultural communication, and international business practices would contribute to SOA’s strategic positioning and international relationships.

International experience has been a defining feature of my education and career. I lived and worked in the United States for nearly 10 years and in Canada for five years, earning master's degrees in both countries and gaining firsthand exposure to different business environments and professional cultures.

My experience spans insurance, consulting, and technology. In the United States, I supported actuarial and analytics initiatives across insurance and healthcare. In Canada, I worked on actuarial modeling, validation, and analytical projects for insurers and risk management functions, gaining a strong understanding of North American business practices and regulatory environments.

I have also worked with stakeholders across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Australia. At MetLife, I grew the actuarial organization in India from 60 to over 280 professionals, supporting operations across the United States, EMEA, Asia, and Latin America. At EY, I lead 200 actuarial professionals supporting clients across over 40 countries covering Life, Property & Casualty, Pension, and Investment-related services.

These experiences taught me that successful international collaboration requires more than technical expertise. It requires understanding cultural differences, communication styles, local market dynamics, and varying levels of market maturity. While professional standards provide a common foundation, the opportunities and challenges facing actuaries differ significantly across regions.

As the profession becomes increasingly global, my experience working, studying, and leading across multiple countries would enable me to contribute to the SOA's strategic positioning, international relationships, and efforts to serve a diverse and growing global membership.

Not-for-Profit

Describe how, through your involvement with not-for-profit organizations, including the SOA, you balance mission-driven objectives with strategic success and operational sustainability especially in volunteer recruitment/coordination and incorporating diverse points of view. 

My involvement with professional and not-for-profit organizations has reinforced that passion for a mission must be matched by effective organization, clear priorities, and the ability to attract and retain committed volunteers. I was a founding member of the SOA India Task Force, recruiting over ten volunteers, most of them India-based FSAs, to build the foundation that became the official SOA India Committee. Volunteer engagement works best when people see a clear purpose, feel ownership, and are given meaningful roles. The Committee has since established a student subcommittee of exam candidates supporting marketing and thought leadership, connecting future members to the profession early.

As Chair of the India Committee and member of the International Committee and Member Leadership Advisory Council, I have contributed to member engagement, professional development, and outreach, aligning volunteer efforts with strategic objectives while ensuring volunteers find their work meaningful.

One example is our work to strengthen the SOA pathway in India—engaging candidates, understanding why they choose the SOA over alternative bodies, and developing a clearer value proposition to attract high-quality candidates in a competitive landscape.

I also served on the Board of Studies for the M.A. Actuarial Economics program at the Madras School of Economics, aligning the curriculum with examinations and industry expectations.

Effective leadership requires seeking diverse perspectives. Through roles spanning countries, cultures, and career stages, I have found that better decisions emerge when leaders intentionally engage people with different viewpoints. Purpose, pragmatism, inclusiveness, and long-term thinking are essential to staying relevant and sustainable.

Professional Education and Development

Describe your experience developing professional education programs for actuaries or other professionals—for example, in a university, employer, professional association, or SOA setting. Include examples where you designed, led, or managed learning programs, curricula, mentoring frameworks, or structured development pathways and how your approach was informed by how professionals learn.

Professional education and talent development have been recurring themes throughout my career. As a lifelong learner, I have completed three university degrees, earned Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries, the CFA Charter, the FRM designation, the SOA's and am currently pursuing the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF).

Shortly after obtaining my Fellowship, I volunteered with the SOA as an exam question writer and grader, gaining insight into curriculum design, assessment, and the role professional education plays in maintaining actuarial standards.

In leadership roles at MetLife and EY, I have developed actuarial talent and structured learning environments. At MetLife, I oversaw development programs, training frameworks, and policies supporting a rapidly growing organization. At EY, I continue to support actuarial professionals across multiple practice areas and career stages.

Most recently, I led AI education and adoption initiatives across the Financial Services Risk organization at EY Global Delivery Services, covering approximately 3,300 professionals. We developed an AI maturity framework combining structured learning, practical projects, experimentation, governance, and capability assessments. The objective is to help professionals apply technology responsibly and effectively.

I have also contributed to actuarial education through the Board of Studies for the M.A. Actuarial Economics program at the Madras School of Economics.

My approach is based on the belief that adults learn most effectively when theory is combined with practical application, mentorship, feedback, and real-world problem solving. Strong education should transfer knowledge while building judgment, adaptability, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Risk Management

Describe your risk management experience, including how you have identified and evaluated organizational risks (including reputational risks) and assessed or implemented appropriate risk mitigation measures. 

Risk management has been central to my career as a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and business leader. My experience includes capital management, asset-liability management, stress testing, enterprise risk management, investments, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance, requiring evaluation of financial, operational, strategic, and regulatory risks and their impact on long-term objectives.

In leadership roles at MetLife and EY, I have managed operational, delivery, talent, technology, and reputational risks. As the actuarial organization at MetLife grew from 60 to over 280 professionals, sustaining growth required strong governance, talent development, and addressing risks before they affected clients or outcomes.

A key lesson is that risk management is about people and culture as much as controls. Governance frameworks cannot fully protect an organization unless people embrace ethical standards. Attracting professionals with integrity, accountability, and judgment is itself a risk strategy. Building a culture where people make the right decisions, even when no one is watching, is the most sustainable approach.

This philosophy influenced several initiatives, including additional controls during COVID to reinforce examination integrity and protect reputation.

At EY, risk management covers client data protection, information security, privacy, compliance, and independence requirements reflecting EY's audit and consulting roles.

More recently, leading AI initiatives required evaluating risks related to model reliability, data quality, governance, security, and responsible use of emerging technologies. My approach is proactive: identify emerging risks early, encourage transparent discussion, and implement practical mitigations before issues escalate.

Strategic Planning

Describe your involvement in strategic planning (including in a corporate environment), and how you have helped formulate vision, establish priorities, and allocate resources to support long-term success and effective organizational positioning.

Strategic planning has been central to my leadership throughout my career. In insurance and consulting, I have developed organizational vision, established priorities, allocated resources, and built capabilities for long-term growth while adapting to changing environments and balancing competing stakeholder needs.

At MetLife, the strategic challenge was not simply scaling the actuarial organization but determining what kind of organization it should become. This required deliberate choices about capabilities, operating models, training investment, and leadership pipelines, while navigating the tension between local market realities and the One MetLife philosophy. Strategy meant ensuring growth was sustainable, not just fast.

At EY, actuarial teams are small and specialized, creating a distinct challenge: balancing audit, consulting, and managed services within a single team that cannot easily be segmented. This requires careful allocation of skills, investment, and capacity across competing priorities while maintaining quality and flexibility. My role involves ongoing strategic planning across capability development, talent strategy, AI adoption, and long-term positioning. Most recently, shaping AI adoption strategy across a 3,300-person Financial Services Risk organization required thinking beyond technology deployment to workforce readiness, governance, and sustainable capability building. My approach begins with understanding long-term trends and stakeholder needs, then translating insights into practical priorities and measurable actions. Successful strategy requires balancing ambition with execution, investing in future capabilities while delivering current commitments, and making deliberate choices about where to focus limited resources.