Description: An overview of John Robinson's experience at the recently concluded annual meeting of the Caribbean Actuarial Association in Trinidad.

Description: An update on the activities of the JRMS

Description: Chairperson’s Corner

Description: This is a conversation with two critical staff members of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) about their experience there. Jane Lesch is a non-actuary who has been working at the SOA for over 20 years, and is an engagement specialist. Mike Boot is an actuary who retired at the end of February after 15 years at the SOA, most recently as managing director. We spoke to both Jane and Mike to get their take on what leadership is about, and how working at the SOA impacted them.

Description: Latest installment in a series covering the application of Buddhist principles to the actuarial work setting. This installment covers the challenges actuaries face in dealing with unfamiliar and uncertain assignments. It provides both encouragement that actuaries are more capable and multi-faceted in their skill sets and offers suggestions taken from the meditation cushion and yoga mat to aid in tapping into those capabilities.

Description: The 2024 Actuarial Teaching Conference (ATC) provided an engaging platform for actuarial educators to explore current trends and challenges in the field. Organized by a diverse planning committee, the conference introduced new interactive formats, including roundtable discussions that encouraged in-depth dialogue on key topics such as artificial intelligence, student behavior, and experiential learning. One of the major highlights was the strategic focus on networking, with efforts made to facilitate connections before, during, and after the event through digital platforms. Challenges such as selecting diverse yet cohesive presentation topics and scheduling concurrent sessions were effectively addressed by aligning themes with participants' interests. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding the innovative roundtable format, which fostered meaningful conversations and idea exchange. The success of this conference was attributed to meticulous planning, adaptability, and a commitment to innovation, setting a high standard for future ATCs.

Description: Update to the members of the SOA International Section

Description: An interview between Timothy Morant and Jinnah Cox. The chair of the reinsurance council discusses with the chair of the product development section, including personal questions and volunteering for the reinsurance section.

Description: Knowing how we and those around us are wired is very important for having successful relationships, whether it be family, a work team or any interaction that can be built upon for the future (e.g., a potential client). There are several models of human behavior inexistence. Like any model, none are perfect. However, having one that can generally guide us the majority of the time with simplicity, practicality and success is of great benefit.

Description: Article describes accomplishments as Chair during the year. Four accomplishments are mentioned: i) Actuarial Research Conference ii) Early Career Award, iii) Establishment of Outstanding Educator Award, iv) Push to create surveys from the section containing a reservoir of ideas that can be used for webinars, podcasts, etc.