Description: The author discusses a definition of an actuary that he suggested several years earlier, noting that the public has a right to know why we think we constitute a profession, and why it should care. The author’s definition is: “that professional who is trained in evaluating the current financial implications of future contingent events.”

Description: In this “nontraditional” general session from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto, the panelists, a “judge,” a “defendant,” and a “prosecutor” present a humorous “trial” to explore what the boundaries of “traditional” actuarial work are. A theme of the session is that some of what we call “nontraditional” is an expansion of traditional actuarial work, and that we owe it to our public to broaden our horizons. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4A.

Description: This 1978 session discussion included important challenges to the actuarial profession that result from current social and economic changes, opportunities for actuarial input in a political process, and expanding horizons for the actuarial profession. From Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 4, No. 1.