Description: In *From Distress to Distinction*, Chris Droussiotis explores a novel approach to valuing distressed companies using option pricing theory, drawing parallels to the financial challenges faced by startups. With over 30 years in banking and startup advising, he emphasizes that both distressed firms and early-stage ventures endure periods of negative cash flow but retain potential for recovery. He combines Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) and the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model to evaluate distressed firms’ recovery prospects and debt sustainability. A case study on Spirit Airlines illustrates this approach: though its current equity value is negative, projected future cash flows suggest significant potential recovery. Droussiotis concludes that strategic valuation, using trend, peer, and expected analysis, can reveal hidden value in distressed companies, guiding effective investment and restructuring decisions.

Description: In recent years, the popularity of Bermuda has extended beyond tourism to becoming one of the world's reinsurance capitals. Listen in and contribute to a discussion on the benefits of Bermuda reinsurance and how that may be dependent on various factors (e.g., legal entity structure, product lines and investment strategies). We'll also talk about the challenges carriers have observed in the rising and volatile interest rate environment and how carriers are working through these challenges. And join the conversation about the future of Bermuda reinsurance in light of emerging changes from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA). Leave this session with an understanding of: - Bermuda reinsurance methodology and framework - How carriers are optimizing their business in Bermuda - The challenges posed in the current economic environment

Description: To cope with the historically low-interest rate environment that we recently experienced, there has been a growing trend among life insurers' investment portfolios to allocate to such alternative assets as collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), rated feeder funds, and collateralized fund obligations (CFOs). In this session, you will gain an overview of alternative assets as we work through answering the following: - What are alternative assets? - Why do insurers invest in alternative assets? - What are the risks of alternative assets? - History of alternatives: How did we get here? - What is currently in the portfolios? - What are the concerns within and outside the industry (without a debate about the concerns)? - What should actuaries be aware of and what role do actuaries play in evaluating portfolio risks?

Description: We will discuss how climate change risk represents radical uncertainty and the challenges this presents in integrating climate risk analysis and traditional investment risk analysis. The session will then explain and illustrate why deterministic, narrative-based, scenarios form a suitable basis for analyzing the potential impact of climate change on investment portfolios and strategies. At the conclusion of this session, attendees will understand deterministic and stochastic approaches to integrating climate risk with economic scenarios and how these can be applied in investment management. Attendees will also understand the challenges in creating a realistic integration of climate and economic scenarios.

Description: ALM actuaries are critical to insurance companies and pension funds—monitoring ALM positioning, measuring risk exposures, and informing the investment decision making process. However, there are opportunities for actuaries to further increase their impact by expanding their scope and embedding actuarial expertise throughout the investment lifecycle. This session will cover new and enhanced ALM techniques to improve ALM risk and return outcomes, including better integration of credit and market risk measurement, and enhanced liability-driven investing strategies.

Description: This discussion will cover regulatory changes in the US and Bermuda insurance industry. A regulator will discuss the motivations behind these changes, how the industry has responded, and their outlook on insurance regulation in the coming years. An industry professional will then analyze the investment implications of regulatory changes and how insurers can adapt their investment strategies to take advantage of the new landscape. The discussion will provide insight into recent regulatory developments and their impact on insurer operations and investment opportunities.

Description: ReFocus is an annual global conference for senior-level life insurance and reinsurance executives hosted jointly by ACLI and the Society of Actuaries (SOA). This event features top-notch speakers, thought-provoking sessions, and superior networking opportunities.

Description: Actuarial Asset-Liability models are indispensable for asset adequacy analysis, ERM, and economic capital. Actuaries often excel in modeling liabilities but tend to rely on Externally Projected Asset (EPA) cash flows from third-party sources for assets.

Description: Are you interested in alternative investments and their role in professionally managed institutional portfolios? Join us for an engaging discussion that delves into the nature of alternative investments, the reasons behind their increased utilization, and the benefits and considerations of their use. Our speakers, representing both the insurance and pension sectors, will cover various asset classes and provide valuable insights.

Description: This session will discuss the macro-economic impact (tariff/changing interest rate environment/government fiscal policy and etc.) on the insurance industry. We will relate this to the actuarial function such as corporate strategy/risk management/product pricing & marketing