Description: The insurance industry is in a constant state of transformation. As organizations adapt to the effects of COVID-19, undergo modernization efforts and implement new technologies, soft or “human” skills are becoming key differentiators for success. Skills such as communication, empathy, storytelling, leadership, problem-solving and more are separating the good from the great actuaries. Those who possess these skillsets can better translate data and most efficiently leverage systems and teams. At the same time, by taking a human approach to modernization efforts, leaders will be able to best engage and motivate their workforces, while building teams that will excel in the future of work.

Description: The SOA launched the Actuarial Innovation & Technology Strategic Research Program earlier this year, focusing on projects in which technology is being used in actuarial work. The presenters will highlight reports from the program including a review of the Top Actuarial Technologies of 2019, the growing use of cloud computing and its impact on furthering and deepening actuarial analyses, and the growing innovative approaches using non-traditional data sources for risk selection and segmentation and its intersection with industry regulation. An overview of this new SOA research initiative and key findings from recently released reports will be covered.