Description: Carlos Arocha, the 2022 Chair of the International Section Council, introduces the articles featured in the current newsletter issue. In addition, he highlights recent and planned activities undertaken by the section.

Description: Composition of the new council and news about the International Section. Groupingactuaries living in different parts of the world and practicing in diverse areas of application of actuarial science, the International Section has sustained its relevancein a world that becomes more interconnected. The harmonization of solvency andconsumer privacy laws and regulations, and the establishment of international financial reporting standards, has prompted our Section to deliver content that helps complement the educational offer available from the Society of Actuaries. But actuaries around the world are enthusiastically tapping into predictive analytics, data science, and risk modeling. Accordingly, the SOA offers three certificate programs: • International Financial Reporting for Insurers (IFRI) • Predictive Analytics • Ethical & Responsible Use of Data

Description: The Ecuadorian Actuarial Association (AEACT) was admitted, as a Full Member (FMA) of the International Actuarial Association (IAA) in October 2021. This constitutes a great achievement for a small country like Ecuador with 17 million inhabitants, a GDP of 100 billion U.S. dollars, and no more than 20 professional and registered actuaries. This important goal was a challenge both personally and for the team that worked hard to achieve it. I remember that it all began 28 years ago, when I attended as a guest to present a summary about the actuarial profession in our country at the World Congress of Actuaries that was held in Montreal, Canada. This congress was the opportunity to learn about the functions and activities of the associations of more developed countries with a significant number of actuaries and whose profession already had an acceptance in professional societies such as the Society of Actuaries in the United States, the Faculty of Actuaries of the United Kingdom, or the Institut des Actuaries of France.

Description: The International Actuarial Association Health Section, the Society of Actuaries International Section, and American Academy of Actuaries (AAA) published the report “International Health Care Funding 2020”. This article highlights the features of the report.

Description: The South African life insurance industry contains the largest life insurance market in Africa, it is highly sophisticated and highly regulated. In the years 2020 and2021, the industry suffered significant mortality losses due toCovid-19. What can we learn from this experience in South Africa?

Description: About a year ago we published our whitepaper “Insurance Innovation Opportunities Beyond COVID-19”. In the paperwe made some predictions on what innovation opportunities the pandemic would bring to the insurance space. It ishard to believe, but we’ve already had a year of living with the pandemic. In recognition of how much time haspassed, we want to look back at a few of our customer realities from last spring set against the innovations thathave been delivered in the market since.

Description: Presenting the customer a measurable value of life insurance that makes the advice process transparent to both the customer and adviser.

Description: Professionalism did not start with COVID-19, but it has brought many new situations to our attention.Professionalism is more than just adhering to rules and regulations and it is complex. As an actuary, you need toconstruct your own “moral compass” and be prepared to make the tough personal and work-related decisions asthey arise. While difficult decisions may not be a common occurrence during your careers, your moral compass willmake it possible to act with confidence when something needs to be done. Finally, while the actuarial profession hascodes of conduct, it is ultimately your personal conduct that determines your reputation as a professional

Description: Think of all the documentation you as an actuary are expected to write: emails, status reports, business plans, white papers, case studies, user guides, pricing and methodology manuals, policies, procedures, regulatory submissions, and more. But while you’ve been formally taught many skills to qualify as an actuary, how to write well is probably not one of them. Fortunately, writing well is not some esoteric skill only available to those with a gift for it. Sure, a little talent helps—but knowing and applying some tricks from professional writers will greatly enhance your ability to communicate even the most complex ideas clearly and simply.

Description: How to effectively retain top talent is a challenge that all employers face and an area in which employee benefits have been playing an increasingly important role. Traditionally, the market has been very competitive, with generic products mainly focused on outpatient and inpatient medical reimbursement, Term Life cover and accidental benefits. For large multinationals, employee benefits are often tailor-made solutions arranged via international brokers whereas small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are more likely to utilize standard packages offered by insurance companies via agents. This article explores the evolution of employee benefits in Asia.