Description: In his book The Power of Habit (2012), Charles Duhigg tells a tale of finding common ground and reaching consensus on change. The common ground that was sought between warring corporate tribes was mutually beneficial, not just to achieve the ends to which those changes were aimed, but also for the cooperation that they engendered across the entire organization.

Description: Article about lessons learned from working with the Actuaries Without Borders Global Mentorship Program for a year.

Description: News for the SOA International Section members

Description: It was an honor, for Dr. Tianyang Wang, Co-Eeditor of Expanding Horizons, to have this Fireside Chat had a great conversation with Dr. Guillen Guillen Estany in January 2023, and invited her for this featured Fireside Chat interview which resulted in a great conversation.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision. This issue’s case study involved an actuarial hiring decision.

Description: The article provides a general description of the DISC assessment, and how it can be used in your professional and personal life.

Description: The author is a recent FSA (2018). As a career changer from academia with no actuarial exposure prior to attempting the first exam at almost 30, the author offers a compelling set of insights gained through his CERA and FSA qualification processes. The advice presented not only covers exam tips helpful for candidates at all levels, but also provides perspective for those who are considering the rewarding career path of being an actuary.

Description: This is a biography of Richard S. Foster, FSA, MAAA, Chief Actuary for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and a presenter at the SOA 2011 Health Meeting.

Description: This article outlines Georgia State University’s (GSU) innovative approach to actuarial science education in response to the evolving demands of the profession, including data science, AI, and climate risk. It highlights a comprehensive pipeline that supports students from early career exploration through high school outreach, into personalized undergraduate academic paths, and onto professional readiness. Key features include project-based learning integrated into core actuarial courses, hands-on technical training in R and Python, and industry-aligned case studies.

Description: Actuarial work in the life and health insurance industry is highly data-driven and complex. Actuaries perform a wide range of tasks such as experience studies, valuation, reserving, pricing, and risk modeling, all of which require vast amounts of data and sophisticated analytics. Traditionally, many of these tasks have been carried out using Excel and other legacy tools, but as data volumes grow and the need for more accurate predictions intensifies, actuaries are turning to more robust platforms. Cloud Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platforms, such as t Databricks offer a unified platform that integrates data management, analytics, and machine learning, making it a powerful tool for actuaries. In this article, we’ll explore how Cloud Data & AI platforms can be used as an actuarial workbench, enabling actuaries in the life and health sector to streamline critical tasks like experience studies, valuation, and reserving.