Description: Digital is the main reason over half of the companies on the Fortune 500 have disappeared since 2000." (CEO Accenture). We cannot be sure how global technology megatrends will disrupt the life insurance industry, but we can be certain that the future will not look like today. As large quantities of available data are no longer owned by insurance companies and statistical techniques become more accessible to non-statisticians, the pressure to keep up with technological advancement increases. Life actuaries must think critically about and be prepared for the coming changes and position themselves as leaders in an industry lagging behind in new technology adoption.

Description: Despite the slowdown in the economy, premium growth in emerging markets fared relatively well compared to advanced insurance markets. Yet, there exists an enormous range in premium density and penetration between emerging and advanced markets. The presenters explore the demand side and attempt to lay out possible solutions to narrow the protection gap.

Description: Accomplishments of the past year and a look at initiatives for the year ahead.

Description: Cassie He and Linda Liu, two actuarial students invite Dave Pelletier, an actuary with 38-year experience to share with us his career experience and his insightful views on the future of the actuarial profession.

Description: This essay examines several key factors that have contributed to China’s success in the economic reform spanning the past three decades and the double-edged nature of these factors going forward.

Description: This abstract describes a presentation that highlights technological, demographic, cultural, criminal, regulatory, and global market changes that foreshadow threats to marketplace firms’ survival.

Description: In this article, the author talks about how the actuarial profession can position itself as the natural choice for complex risk management work.

Description: Critical illness CI products are gaining in popularity in North America. These products have been available for close to 20 years in many countries around the world, including South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom and most of Asia. Many of the lessons learned in these countries concerning product design, pricing, underwriting and claims adjudication are relevant to the U.S. market. This session reviews the latest trends around the world. Attendees gain insight into the key issues driving the profitability of the product and are better positioned to determine the main considerations in deciding whether or not to introduce such a product in their market. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 29, No. 1, Washington, D.C., Spring Meeting, May 29–30, 2003, Session 60PD.