Description: Innovation has become a fashionable concept, but what does it really mean? Are the concepts of innovation and invention synonyms? Is innovation a good thing? If so, why so many oppose it? If we want to become innovators, what considerations should be kept in mind? Are there examples of innovative thought in the actuarial field? If so, can you think of some of them? If you want answers to these questions please read Jay Jaffe’s article, Becoming a More Effective Innovator. Innovation is a big idea in the business education, so much so that many MBA programs are including courses on the subject, so much so that, as we know, our Section is called Entrepreneurial & Innovation.

Description: As life span increases, there are many implications for actuaries and other professionals. The structure and content of Continuing Education (CE) must adapt to meet the needs of professionals with the strong probability of living to age 100, but also recognizing that for an increasing percentage of professionals, their productive work life will extend far beyond the current conventional retirement age. </p><p>This session will include content that is apropos for both more 'mature' actuaries who will face life decisions in the near future, as well as offer career guidance for younger actuaries preparing for longer work lives. It will conclude with suggesting that the SOA create a new, exclusive section specifically to address the needs and interests of older actuaries: We've Lived to 100 Actuaries. The SOA already has a program called Living to 100, which deals with the implications of a longer life span for the general public. Some of the new centenarians will be SOA members who will work far beyond the historical retirement age of the past. The purpose of this session will be to introduce the new 5-Stage lifetime work model so that actuaries can both individually and as a professional group, design CE for the realities of longer careers and life spans. In order to be professionally productive and happy as life expectancy grows, there are many changes that will have to take place in the continuing education of professionals--and actuaries are NO exception to this rule! </p><p>While this presentation will help 'mature' actuaries prepare for their longer careers and 100th birthdays, there are also serious implications and opportunities for younger actuaries that are best recognized and addressed long before reaching professional maturity in order to prepare for and enjoy a healthy and active actuarial career, as well as remain a productive and happier senior citizen.

Description: A point of view article exploring whether actuaries can be considered “true” professionals.