In the dynamic world of actuarial science, professionals often find themselves traversing borders and accumulating diverse experiences that enrich their careers and broaden their perspectives. As part of The Actuary Canada’s August International issue, we delve into the story of Jennifer Dickson, FSA, FCIA, FIA, whose career trek has brought her from Europe to Toronto…
The Actuary’s “Terminology” series, developed in collaboration with the SOA Research Institute’s Catastrophe and Climate Research Steering Committee, seeks to address inconsistent, evolving and complex terms that may require further explanation or examples. These terms are either new to actuaries or may be used differently by actuaries, climatologists, sustainability experts and other stakeholders. This second…
Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, with tools, methodologies and applications developing at an astonishing speed. By now, it’s almost a cliché to say generative AI is revolutionary, and it may seem difficult to keep up with the pace of change. How can actuaries leverage this powerful technology to increase their productivity and enhance their…
Many quotes about imagination are attributed to Albert Einstein. One favorite is, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” In my thinking, that statement can be applied not only to scientific discovery but to the actuarial world as well. In this first of two “Revolutionizing the Actuarial World” articles…
While the landscape of actuarial modeling is constantly evolving, many life insurers find themselves tethered to legacy tools of the trade. Decades-old codebases (think COBOL, APL languages); vendor systems designed in the 1990s; and sprawling, complex networks of spreadsheets immediately come to mind. While these tools have served their purpose, they often, in my observation,…
As our world confronted the ongoing challenges of climate change, July 2023 became a record-breaker as the hottest month ever documented. And the 2023–24 El Niño emerged as one of the largest climate anomalies of the 21st century. Coupled with record-breaking sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season became the fourth…
According to Pew Research, the number of Americans aged 100 and older is expected to quadruple over the next three decades. Late this past year, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died at the age of 100 after being under hospice care for nearly two years. While “living to 100” may seem…
Becoming a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) is a professional milestone deserving of recognition and celebration for every actuary who achieves it. It’s also true that everyone’s FSA journey is unique. Yuzhe Michael Tang, CFA, FSA, CERA, recently completed the Fellowship Admissions Course, becoming an FSA in the Quantitative Finance and Investment (QFI)…
As Pride Month unfolds, it is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in various fields, including the actuarial profession. It wasn’t until after I met with Craig Chu, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, pension actuary and president of the Sexuality & Gender Alliance of Actuaries (SAGAA), that I learned about the fascinating…
The actuarial profession is constantly evolving, with new technologies, regulations and societal challenges shaping the field. For this third Q&A in The Actuary’s “Voices of Tomorrow: Perspectives from the Next Generation of Actuaries” series, I connected with Marcel Chang, FSA, CERA, a consulting actuary with four years of experience, currently with Milliman in Kuala Lumpur,…