Description: Read the September 2020 issue of The Stepping Stone published by the Leadership & Development Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: We will demonstrate three analytical tools along with a sample case study showing how they might be applied to a fictional actuarial organization within ABC Life. The goal is to highlight how they might be applied to perform a health check of an actuarial function organizational design. This can measure effectiveness quantitatively via benchmarking how an actuarial function might stack up against the industry and management expectations. The tools and techniques are critical for actuarial leaders and managers but are also relevant to all actuaries, since we can all benefit from understanding how our individual work efforts fit into the bigger picture of an organization.

Description: Feature article that is the third in a series that deals with the challenges and opportunities actuaries face as leaders.

Description: Section member Greg Fann writes about his mid-career personal and professional reflections, paralleling the actuarial life experience with oceanic travel through the lyrics of the Jimmy Buffet ballad “A Pirate Looks at 40”.

Description: An actuarial perspective on a book review of Biological Imperatives a book written by biologist Allan Chase. An interesting perspective which may be of interest as the United States evaluates its health care reform options.

Description: Part 1 of a 2-part series featuring interviews with four former SmallCo section chairs. The interviews shared their view of the value of SmallCo and of holding a leadership role. They also discussed the challenges of leading this section and gave advice for new section council members.

Description: Executive Coach Marcel Schwantes demonstrated that applying daily practices of Servant Leadership is really the best way to engage workers to perform at a high level, which will improve the bottom line. Here Schwantes returns to kick-off a six part series that delves deep into the best practices of what a servant leader is, and does.

Description: Why do so many companies have great strategies but still fail? One reason is that they don’t know how to execute. At this session 31TS of the 2004 Valuation Actuary Symposium we discuss the bestselling book Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan.

Description: Learn industry best practices including challenges faced by retirees, such as needing exposure to growth, most exposed to sequencing risk, and the need for smooth returns to avoid poor investor behavior caused by risk aversion. Other topics will include how to set investment objectives which consider the members’ real-world needs and how to build portfolios and implement risk management strategies to meet those objectives. The speaker will provide real-life examples/case studies.

Description: This session from the 2003 SOA Orlando Meeting discusses the bestselling book Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan. The discussion focuses on turning strategy into success through execution. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 29, No. 3.