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: 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: Long-term guarantees place unanticipated burdens on companies because of the degree to which the environment can change. These risks are compounded when combined with estimation of policyholder behavior, especially when solid experience data is not available. When risks are properly reflected, long-term guarantees do not always provide value to the customer in excess of the manufacturing cost. The product development actuary is challenged to compare customer value to company cost and use that measurement to identify novel ways to design products to better serve customers.

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

Description: Global megatrends in technology are disrupting the life insurance industry.

Description: Retirement Section Chair industry and professional observations introducing the content of the newsletter. The current article focuses on the benefits of volunteering within the actuarial profession and acknowledges the contributions made to the outgoing section council members and the outgoing staff fellow for retirement as well as introducing new retirement section council members

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 article discusses the determination of the proper level of centralization of functions in a company. The author makes the case that more is not always better.

Description: A book review of The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker.

Description: Even if you are analytic and process oriented, you have the ability to be great at selling.