Candidate Questionnaire
Senior Manager
Ernst and Young LLP
Chicago, IL
Brief description of current work:
I am a consulting actuary at Ernst & Young LLP with focus on business and technology transformation. In my role, I advise insurance business leaders to drive transformation in technology, people, and processes in order to enhance performance and create modernized actuarial organizations.
Primary Area of Practice:
Life, Risk Management
Other Areas of Practice:
Technology, Innovation, Actuarial Transformation
Professional Background
Provide a brief description of your professional background and the type of work you have performed and explain how these experiences have uniquely prepared you as an Elected Board Member and qualify you in carrying out the strategic direction of the SOA.
With over a decade of experience in the insurance industry in consulting and corporate roles, I possess a wealth of technical expertise in actuarial transformation and data analytics. My track record of assisting multiple life and annuity insurers with large-scale actuarial transformations highlights my ability to comprehend complex business challenges and develop effective solutions to address them. Leveraging my proficiency in actuarial data analytics and visualization, I am poised to steer the SOA and the actuarial profession towards a future driven by data and analytics, with insights that can inform decision-making and support innovation. My extensive experience has honed my communication, collaboration, and resource management skills, which are essential qualities for being an effective Board Member.
As a frequent speaker at SOA events and a volunteer in various leadership roles at the SOA, I was honored with the opportunity to help shaping the future of the actuarial profession. My involvement in the Actuarial Innovation and Technology Research Steering Committee, where highlights my interest in promoting innovation and leveraging technology to advance the actuarial profession. My passion for technology and innovation enables me to provide valuable insights and recommendations on how to harness emerging technologies such as process automation, cloud computing, AIML, and blockchain to enhance actuarial processes, increase efficiency, and elevate the value proposition of actuaries to businesses and organizations.
Overall, my strategic thinking, technical expertise, and strong leadership skills uniquely qualify me to serve as an Elected Board Member. I am confident that I possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and perspective to carry out the strategic direction of the SOA and ensure that it continues to deliver outstanding services to its members.
Volunteer, Governance and Personal Experience
Describe how your volunteer, governance and personal experiences would strengthen your contributions to the SOA Board, the organization, and strategic plan execution. Please list your relevant volunteer experience. Please include the name of the organization, your role, and approximate dates.
In the last several years, I’ve had held many leadership roles at the SOA, including
- SOA Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2019.
- Chair, Actuarial Innovation and Technology Steering Committee, SOA Research Institute, 2019-2021
- Vice-Chair, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Section, 2022-current
- Member, Volunteer Awards Committee, 2022-current
- Member, Quantitative Finance and Investments Portfolio Management Exam, since 2017-current
- Speaker and Moderator for a variety of sessions at SOA Annual Meetings, SOA Life Symposiums, 2020-current
- POG members for various AIT research projects, 2018-current
- Council, Technology Section, 2017 – 2020
- Member, SOA Annual Meeting and Life Symposium programs organizing committee, 2017 - 2020
Outside of the SOA, my volunteer and governance experiences include:
- Deputy CFL leader, EY Chicago LH Actuarial Team, 2023 – current
- Board of Directors at my homeowner association from 2018 – 2020.
My volunteer and governance experience further strengthened my leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills and enabled me to contribute back to the community. The SOA Board requires individuals who possess these qualities and are committed to the organization's mission and strategic objectives, my rich experience and leadership positions in SOA have provided me valuable opportunities to connect with SOA staff, current board members and leadership, and most importantly helped me gaining insight into SOA’s day-to-day operations. Such experiences to oversee SOA's operations and ensure its long-term sustainability.
In addition, my personal experiences as a consulting actuary, working with many insurance and actuarial leaders in solving many challenging business problems, would also help me provide valuable perspectives to the SOA Board. As an individual who have faced challenges or overcome obstacles, I am confident that I have developed resilience and problem-solving skills that could be useful in addressing complex issues faced by the organization.
Agility/Change
Describe a significant change that you led in the workplace or in your volunteer activities. What were the largest obstacles you overcame, and what would you have done differently to ensure greater success.
As a consulting actuary, I have led many actuarial transformation projects with various insurance companies’ actuarial and IT functions. One of the early projects I led was the implementation of a new data analytics tool to improve efficiency and accuracy of actuarial processes. The largest obstacles I overcame during this change initiative were:
- Actuaries are known for their expertise in traditional technology and introducing a new data analytics tool was met resistance from some team members who were apprehensive cautious about adopting new technology.
- Some team members lacked the necessary technical skills to effectively use the data analytics tool, which posed a challenge in achieving the desired level of proficiency and maximizing the tool's potential.
To overcome these obstacles, I took the following steps:
- I conducted regular discussion sessions to explain benefits of the new tool and how it would improve our work processes. I also
- Provided comprehensive training programs to help team members build their technical skills and confidence in the tool.
- Identified key influencers within the team who were early adopters of the tool and leveraged their support as change champions to encourage others to embrace the change.
In hindsight, to ensure even greater success, I would have taken the following additional steps:
- I would have engaged key stakeholders earlier in the process, including executives and end-users. By involving them in the decision-making and implementation process up front, they can feel more invested in the change and would be more likely to support it.
- I would also have established clear goals and metrics for success and monitored progress regularly to identify areas that required adjustment.
Motivating/Influencing
Describe a time when you helped resolve a difficult situation in a professional setting. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome.
Through my career, it was unavoidable to have different opinions and sometimes experience tensions and conflicts in meetings. I often needed to work with professionals with different background, and frequently who are highly intelligent and opinionated. This can make consensus-building and decision-making remarkably challenging. When team members run into conflicts during group discussions, it unfortunately can affect the overall productivity and morale of the team. For example, one team member feels that their ideas are not being considered, while the other feels that they are being constantly criticized and undermined. Normally, I take the following actions to resolve the situation:
- Listen actively: Listen to team members individually and try to understand their perspectives and concerns. This would involve asking open-ended questions and encouraging them to share their thoughts and feelings.
- Identify the root cause: Based on their feedback, identify the root cause of the conflict and try to find common ground between parties. This could involve identifying miscommunication, differences in opinion or work style, or other factors that are causing conflicts.
- Encourage collaboration: Facilitate discussions between team members to encourage them to share their perspectives and ideas in a constructive manner and then encourage them to collaborate and work together towards a common goal.
By implementing these strategies, the SOA could make progress in improving its DEI, and ultimately create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all its members.
Diversity
What steps might the SOA take to improve its diversity, equity and inclusion? You can read more about current efforts by the organization at www.soa.org/programs/diversity-inclusion.
The SOA can take several steps to improve its diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here are some potential strategies:
Expand outreach efforts: The SOA can expand its outreach efforts to reach a more diverse range of potential members, including partnering with organizations that serve underrepresented communities, offering scholarships to students from underrepresented groups, and providing mentorship and networking opportunities to members of these communities.
- Promote cultural competence: The SOA can invest in training and resources to promote cultural competence amongst its members and staff. This include educating members on unconscious bias, providing diversity and inclusion training, increasing number of DEI related sessions at major SOA conferences, and creating a more inclusive culture that values diverse perspectives and experiences.
- Foster a more inclusive culture: The SOA can foster a more inclusive culture by creating affinity groups for underrepresented communities, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and sharing best practices, and recognizing and celebrating diverse perspectives and accomplishments. This may include Increasing representation of underrepresented groups, including on its committees and in its leadership positions, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities.
- Engage in DEI advocacy: The SOA can use its platform and influence to advocate for policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to a wider business community.
By implementing these strategies, the SOA could make progress in improving its DEI, and ultimately create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all its members.
International
The 2022-2024 Strategic Plan includes an objective to Accelerate International Growth. Please explain how you will help the Board accomplish this.
As I have worked in both Canada and United States, I have seen how SOA has been very influential in actuarial communities in both countries in the past decades. In my opinion, there are different factors that have been challenging SOA’s impact outside of North America, including differences in regulatory standards hence SOA’s focused initiatives and language barriers for those non-English speaking countries. If I were elected, I believe there are several ways I can help the Board accomplish the objective of accelerating international growth, including:
- Help build relationships with local organizations: As someone with experiences and exposure to actuaries outside of North America, I have connections with local organizations and institutions in these markets. I can leverage these connections to help the SOA build relationships with local partners and collaborators. This would help the SOA increase its visibility and credibility in these markets and identify potential opportunities for growth.
- Serve as a mentor to international members: As an experienced volunteer of the SOA, I can establish an international mentorship program to better serve to international members who are new to the organization. This can help build a stronger international community within the SOA and increase engagement and participation from international members.
- Participate in international events and conferences: I would like to participate in international events and conferences to represent the SOA and build relationships with stakeholders in international markets. This would help increase the visibility of the organization and identify potential opportunities for growth.
Overall, my experience, cultural background, and language skills can be valuable assets to the SOA as it seeks to accelerate international growth. By leveraging these assets, I can help the Board to develop targeted strategies for expansion and build a stronger international community within the organization.
Emerging
The SOA Long-Term Growth Strategy outlines the six critical issues our research has identified as the trends changing our environment and impacting our work as actuaries. How might the Board address any of these issues to keep the SOA successful?
The six critical issues identified in the SOA Long-Term Growth Strategy are the rise of data science, AI changing the nature of work, the changing nature of credentialing and skill development, strengthening members and candidate engagement, future geographic growth patterns, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. To address these issues and keep the SOA successful, the board can take several steps:
- Retaining actuarial talent in the actuarial fields by promoting the value and importance of the actuarial profession to the wider community
- Stay current on the latest developments in data science and AI to incorporate them into the SOA's curriculum and certification programs, ensuring members have the skills needed to excel in their roles.
- Encourage members to engage in lifelong learning and professional development to keep their skills up-to-date and to stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies.
- Explore new credentialing and skill development models, such as micro-credentials, digital badges, and competency-based education, to better meet the needs of a rapidly changing profession.
- Foster a culture of engagement and inclusivity among members and candidates, through initiatives such as mentoring programs, networking events, and leadership development opportunities.
- Expand the SOA's geographic footprint to reach new members and candidates around the world, through partnerships with local organizations, increased marketing efforts, and digital outreach.
- Prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, through initiatives such as training programs, unconscious bias training, and a focus on recruiting and retaining diverse talent.
By addressing these critical issues through proactive measures, the SOA Board can ensure that the organization remains relevant, responsive, and successful in a rapidly changing environment and continues to serve the needs of its members and the actuarial profession at large.