Description: Investing in and taking care of employees can result in many-faceted positive results, for your team and for your firm. We first state the case for "taking care of employees," then exhibit several practical methods for showing you care for your employees.

Description: Actuarial Speed Cubers in Wonderland

Description: On April 22, 2025, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Illinois State University (ISU) Actuarial Program held an Actuarial Day for high school and college students on the ISU campus. It was part of a series of such events that the SOA sponsors and helps organize on college campuses to inspire future generations of actuaries and popularize the actuarial profession among high school and college students.

Description: Encouraging submission of articles from any interested parties

Description: A real life situation is posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision, and readers are invited to submit their responses to "What Would You Do?" This issue’s case study involved an actuarial manager facing the potential resignation of a key employee.

Description: Leadership inspiration essay asserting that the things that are the most valuable to us are also the things that we have to work the hardest for.

Description: This article highlights the importance of communicating concisely and effectively through email and other written forums, and when/when not to use written vs. other forms of communication.

Description: Author of Content won "Best Quote" category of L&D writing contest. Looks at the source of courage both in history and in his own professional life. Valuable to better understand how to face moments in leadership that could inspire fear and trembling. Discusses ways to improve courage when called to lead.

Description: The article presents specific operational guidelines when managers and staff are having difficult conversations. The article reviews half a dozen "popular" guidelines but shows that they are not specific. The article then in two layers presents specific operational guidelines. First the article based on a commonality of principles of email etiquette and Jewish Speech Laws reviews five guidelines for ordinary conversations: focus on events vs. people, focus on fixes vs. blames, being holistic (acknowledge any good done), be operational (indicate outcome and how to accomplish it), and use of tentative tone. The article concludes by adding three specific guidelines for difficult conversations: shared-self-evaluation, skillful use of breaks when emotions flair, and use of open-ended lead-on questions coupled with continuous empathy and offers of collaborative support.

Description: What does it take for an actuary to be a good people manager? We propose an answer in three words: willingness, love and rigor. A good people manager is dedicated to invest in team members’ success, sincerely cares for them, and subject them to high standards that speed up their growth.