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The SOA/CAS Joint Committee for Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Present Upcoming Sessions at Organizations’ Annual Meeting

October 15, 2020 – The Joint Committee for Inclusion, Equity and Diversity (JCIED) – an effort between the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) – proudly announces a series of professional development sessions that will take place at each of their respective annual meetings.

The SOA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & Exhibit, October 26-29, will focus on innovation, long-term development, and diversity of thought. The JCIED planned sessions include:

  • Overcoming Unconscious Bias (October 26, 2020)
    • Unconscious bias can affect all aspects of the employment relationship, from hiring decisions to promotions and performance evaluations. Not only does unconscious bias expose employers to discrimination lawsuits, it can also negatively impact workplace culture, resulting in costly turnover, stunted productivity, low morale and lost business. In this session you will learn how to identify unconscious bias and develop tactics to combat unconscious discrimination in your workplace to create a better work environment.
  • Employing Emotional Intelligence to Create Diverse Teams (October 28, 2020)
    • The use of emotional intelligence to build smart, productive teams is more important than ever, especially in a new virtual space. This session will discuss emotional intelligence in the workplace, in team relationships, and in the hiring practices – with specific strategies to ensure workplaces are diverse and inclusive.

The SOA Annual Meeting also features a Women’s Leadership Forum with panelists from the International Association of Black Actuaries, and an LGBTQ & Allies Roundtable reception. For more information and to register for the meeting, visit https://www.soa.org/prof-dev/events/2020-annual-meeting/.

The CAS will be hosting its 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting November 9-12. Diversity, equity, and inclusion-related sessions include:

  • The Actuary and Social Justice (November 11, 2020)
    • Every actuary knows their responsibility towards avoiding unfairly discriminatory variables in ratemaking. But where does the concept of “disparate impact” fit in? And what does it mean towards the responsibility an actuary has to investigate, highlight and fight systematic biases in insurance? At its best, insurance serves as a tool for incentivizing good behavior. How can our profession apply that to uncovering issues of bias in the workplace and society at large? This session will explore ways in which actuaries can use data driven approaches to uncover and action inequality.
  • The Actuary and Social Justice, Continued
    • The general session on “The Actuary and Social Justice” will undoubtedly spark thoughts and ideas that warrant further conversation. Join the panelists from the general session at this follow-up concurrent session for continued, small-group dialogue on issues raised during the general session, such as:
  • What specific ways can actuaries address the disparate impact standard in their work, e.g. variables to avoid or use?
  • What is the actuary’s responsibility to investigate, highlight and fight systematic biases in insurance? Specifically, this session will explore the extent to which the responsibility is a result of regulation vs. ethical obligations.
  • How can actuaries use data driven approaches to uncover and address inequality?
  • What should the CAS as an organization be doing to promote the actuary’s responsibilities for social justice?
  • The New Workplace: Trends for 2021 and Beyond
    • In this session, the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA) will discuss results from their IABA Work Culture Survey, which explored attitudes from its members in areas such as relationship management, work environment and career development within their companies. IABA's recommendations for employers on building a diverse, equitable & inclusive workplace will also be presented.

For more information and to register for the meeting, visit https://www.casact.org/annual/

The CAS/SOA Joint Committee for Inclusion, Equity and Diversity (JCIED) works to promote the actuarial profession as the STEM career of choice for candidates of all perspectives, experiences and backgrounds; a strong sense of belonging such that our members fully contribute to advance the profession; and equitable opportunity for education, research and leadership for our stakeholders.

About the Casualty Actuarial Society 

The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is a leading international organization for credentialing and professional education. CAS credentials demonstrate the expertise to identify, analyze and advise on the potential financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Professionals educated by the Casualty Actuarial Society empower business and government to make well-informed strategic, financial and operational decisions. 

About the Society of Actuaries

With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 32,000 actuaries as members. Through research and education, the SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and to enhance the ability of actuaries to provide expert advice and relevant solutions for financial, business and societal challenges. The SOA’s vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in the measurement and management of risk.