Description: An actuary's 30-year career, from working for several major consulting firms, to leading his own firm, to becoming a sole-practitioner consulting actuary.

Description: This essay explores the role that the emerging defined contribution retirement system may be playing in the growth of wealth inequality in the United States. The current system leaves many Americans with little or no retirement savings. Those with higher accumulation levels appear to invest proportionally more in equities, which may have an exponential effect of balances over long time periods. The author hypothesizes that willingness to take investment risk involves the relationship between the amount an investor has accumulated and what she/he needs in order to cover basic costs of living. This is one reason that investors with greater accumulation levels may be able to earn higher rates of return. The essay concludes by suggesting that the U.S. defined contribution system should include all workers and provide additional fiduciary guidance. Examples reforms, both in the U.S. and other countries, are provided.

Description: In “Gearing up for Designing Your Future,” published in the May 2017 issue of Actuary of the Future, the author cited four heroes as his personal inspiration. This article is the successor, showing the glory of these heroes and how they can inspire us actuaries today, as we strive to live our best lives. Identifying your own Noble Purpose as an actuary and in your life makes creating a five-year plan for personal growth meaningful and motivating. What will you gain from reading biographies of famous people and the classics? To aspire, to approach eloquence, to emulate the poetry of how they put their ideas across to mobilize their publics, to elevate our own characters by their examples, to be fully equipped to make moral and ethical judgments, to master the primary tool, verbal communication.

Description: The August/September 2013 edition of The Actuary magazine—the Society of Actuaries’ flagship publication.

Description: An overview of the actuarial profession in Sri Lanka.

Description: This is a summary of the book In Search of Excellence - Lessons from America's Best Run Companies. and how insurance companies and actuaries do not achieve escellence. The author outlines three out of eight qualities that these best run companies had in common.

Description: It's a given that actuaries have well-developed technical skills. Early career development for actuaries is focused on building a strong technical and industry foundation. However, once that development has occurred an actuary still has most of their career left. Many want to remain technical experts operating in an environment they love. Others, either by design or otherwise, end up in leadership and management roles. In fact, actuaries are typically very well positioned to become senior leaders within their organizations. However, while the technical development of actuaries is a well-defined path, leadership development is not. The competencies that make for good technical actuaries aren't necessarily the competencies that make good leaders. An actuary striving for a broad leadership role needs to build strong communication and influencing skills, as well as strategic and general business skills. They must be able to quickly adapt to being submerged in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment. This workshop is intended to educate mid-level actuaries on the key characteristics that define good leaders and how to focus on building the skills necessary to successfully transition into a leadership role. At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to: - Determine if a leadership path is right for them - Learn the key competencies that make good leaders - Understand how to build the skills necessary to move from technical expert to leader

Description: When you hear the word 'feedback,' do you cringe? Do you want to give a colleague advice but don't want it to backfire? There are good reasons why no one likes to get or give feedback. But how do we deliver better outcomes at work without it? In this session, learn why legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry was a master at driving excellence and what you can learn from his approach. You'll learn why traditional feedback methods fail and how criticism actually inhibits learning. We'll dig into recent feedback trends and the old standbys to understand why they might not work for you. Using coaching techniques and the latest thinking, learn how to talk through issues, share your reactions and inspire team members and colleagues to excel. You'll leave this session armed with tools and techniques to have more productive conversations with your boss, team members and colleagues.

Description: This article stresses the importance of portraying a professional image in the workplace.

Description: This article focuses on actuaries’ self-perceptions regarding their strengths and weaknesses and the implications of these perceptions on their effectiveness as leaders.