As we celebrate Black History Month, stories of resilience, determination, and trailblazing success speak louder when they come from within our own communities. Marc-Edouard “Teddy” Kernisant’s journey to becoming a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) is one such story, demonstrating that the journey…
A simple remark during an editorial meeting caught me off guard: “Liz, did you know I’m the Chicago lead for the IABA (International Association of Black Actuaries)?” In that moment, something clicked. That single comment opened a broader reflection on how geography has shaped the experiences of Black actuaries—and how those dynamics are being rewritten…
For The Actuary’s focus on Black History Month, I’m pleased to share the story of Dr. David Blackwell, one of the great mathematical geniuses of the 20th century. Dr. Blackwell was a truly brilliant mathematician who made critical advancements in his field while also creating opportunities for others throughout his career and life. He’s an…
The ever-changing world continues creating new financial and economic risks for actuaries to help address. As a global organization, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) has made international growth part of its strategic goals to accelerate the actuarial profession and better support its candidates and members. In 2025, the SOA leaned into its commitment to international…
For its December technology focus, The Actuary Asia connected with Kittipon Sarnvanichpitak, FSA, Principal Data Scientist at AIA in Bangkok, for a broad discussion on artificial intelligence (AI), including emerging techniques relevant to actuarial work, as well as advice for young actuaries as AI continues to transform the profession. Here, Kittipon shares his perspectives from…
In recent years, insurers have turned to big data and advanced algorithms for pricing and underwriting. While this is intended to boost accuracy and efficiency, it also brings new challenges around fairness and bias. Complex models trained on large datasets often operate as “black boxes,” making it difficult to see whether indirect discrimination has found…
The language of uncertainty permeates our lives. Whether a starting athlete is listed as questionable to play in the weekend game, or snow is likely in the afternoon, we often make attempts to place quantitative sentiment on uncertain events. Back in 1964, analyst Sherman Kent compiled “Words of Estimative Probability,” a since-declassified brief for the…
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been a game-changer for many industries, and insurance is no exception. From policy selection to claims settlement, generative AI is rewriting the rules of how customers interact with insurers throughout the insurance customer journey. On one hand, insurers are deploying generative AI tools to enhance customer interactions; on the other,…
They say hindsight is 20/20. That might be true. After reaching a significant milestone in 2025—25 years of working—I took some time to reflect on what I have learned as an actuary and in related roles, how to apply that knowledge going forward, and what I might have done differently. Here are the top 10…
About 15 years ago, when I was starting my actuarial career and studying for exams, the Actuarial Standards Board’s (ASB) Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOP) felt like a never-ending list of “shoulds” and “musts,” with additional flashcards to memorize. Honestly, I wondered at the time if anyone ever read them outside of exam prep. Over…