Description: Actuaries must be able to present compelling arguments to win over their audience. For the first time, they may be managing a staff looking for direction, making recommendations to senior leaders, or trying to persuade non-actuarial colleagues who see the world differently. This series of articles is intended to educate young actuarial professionals on key business influencing skills that will be beneficial in the near term as well as throughout their careers. Part 1 is focused on leading and influencing a team.

Description: Chairperson's Corner - introduces the issue and the SOA's initiative on diversity, as well as introduces Murnighan's diverse approach to leadership. Do Nothing! is the first of a three part series focused on J. Keith Murnighan's book "Do Nothing!" and discusses balancing working vs. leading, how to succeed as leader by counterbalancing challenges, and to best manage a team.

Description: Interview with 2016-2017 SOA President Mike Lombardi about improving the actuary’s soft skills as one of the ways to remain relevant, and expand opportunities.

Description: Chairperson column - update on section activity

Description: Building on the Part 1 article, Introduction to the Representative Scenarios Method, this article describes testing the methodology with respect to four product types, fixed indexed annuities with GLIBs, level term life insurance, universal life with secondary guarantees, and variable annuities with GLWBs. This Part 2 article describes testing results, refinements to the RSM methodology, and next steps.

Description: This is an article about the sales process for long-term care insurance.

Description: This article gives a summary of the articles to be presented in the Spring 2013 issue of the the AoF newsletter. It also introduces some of the new initiatives and programs underway in 2013.

Description: Chairperson's Corner

Description: Many top-performing businesses aren’t just risk aware, but rather risk intelligent. Such a posture helps prepare companies for a major event and can demonstrate to a regulator or auditor that an appropriately strong control framework is in place. Better still, companies gain real strategic value from a “risk adjusted” understanding not only of their threats and vulnerabilities, but also the upside opportunities associated with various risks. It starts with having both qualitative and quantitative information to identify, assess and manage risks. Strategic risk management, at its core, is about creating value by increasing transparency and accountability, and quality of information. More than a mere compliance exercise, effective risk management enables more informed strategic decision making, increased accountability and transparency, a greater likelihood of organizational success, and – ultimately – competitive advantage, as borne out by many studies that correlate risk management and financial results.