Description: This is an interview from The Actuary magazine. Mr. Francois Bourdon, FSA, was chosen co-recipient of the Professional Risk Manager (PRM) Candidate of the Year award for 2004. The Actuary decided to ask Mr. Bourdon about his recipe for success.

Description: The following is written in response to an article that ran in the Dec. 2004 issue of The Actuary entitled, The Image of the Actuary: How Does the Profession Measure Up In Other Parts of the World? The letter is from Colegio Nacional de Actuarios. From The Actuary, April/May 2005

Description: This article is based on a presentation made by the author at the Annual Meeting of the Actuarial Society of New York in September 2004. The example of the position inventory and complementary skills acquired is from the author's own professional experience. From The Actuary Magazine, April/May 2005

Description: Examines the trends affecting the distribution system for the industry's products, and the regulatory and tax environment in which life companies operate. Also looks briefly at the state of competition in the industry.

Description: SOA President Stephen G. Kellison shares his thoughts on the future of the actuarial profession.

Description: The author discusses how China is poised for dramatic changes in its life insurance industry that will raise both opportunities and challenges. The author notes that China has particularly spectacular growth prospects, and given the nature of the business, the industry will have an almost insatiable appetite for capital. However, In order to accomplish this, China's insurance industry needs to advance its financial management and improve its ability to produce transparent financial information, in a timely and reliable manner. The author compares China’s current position in the life insurance compared to other Asian countries, and describes the steps needed to improve its financial management.

Description: This article presents an interview with Prakash Shimpi about his career and the practice of Enterprise Risk Management [ERM]. Shimpi, FSA, CFA, joined the Tillinghast business of Towers Perrin in November 2004 as practice leader with global responsibility for ERM.

Description: Discusses potential implications of increasing life spans in many areas.

Description: MacGinnitie discusses how retirement may change in the 21st century. First, he discusses what forces are shaping current retirement trends and what might happen to redefine retirement in the 21st century. He then examines what this might mean for private pension systems, and how actuaries can adapt.

Description: This article is an interview with Phelim Boyle, an educator, actuary, PhD, author, financial engineer and recipient of the IAFE/ SunGard Financial Engineer of the Year Award and perhaps best known for his research into Monte Carlo methods.