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: 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.