Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the creation of a Diversity Extension of the new University-Earned Credit (UEC) program. One of the SOA’s key strategic initiatives is to engage diverse communities to address key societal issues and to work to build a more diverse actuarial profession. The UEC Diversity Extension will begin investing in efforts to achieve greater diversity within the actuarial profession.

Description: As product development professionals, we know that getting customer feedback is a key component of the product development process. If crafted carefully, these sessions can uncover true unmet needs, unlock the next product innovation, and create market share gains, all while creating something that contributes to society. As quoted during one of our last focus groups, “Magic stuff happens here.” When designing your research, are you doing all that you can to promote inclusive thinking? By focusing on the design of your study—through overall theme and by paying attention to the details in the process—you can uncover new perspectives that you may not have considered, if not for being deliberate in your actions. Instead of just avoiding structures that create biases, we need to actively incorporate inclusivity. Our team performed a study titled “Designing Solutions to Empower Women,” which focused on women’s viewpoints and how those could be incorporated into life insurance product development. I would love to share some of my experiences and tips collected along the way.