Emerging Topics Community: Return to Trees, Part 4: Gradient Boosting Machines

The podcast features a conversation with Willis Towers Watson CEO Carl Hess, who discusses his progression from actuary to CEO, emphasizing the importance of analytical skills, communication, and people management in leadership. Carl highlights how technology and AI are transforming the actuarial profession, noting that automation and AI projects at WTW are helping staff focus on more productive work and better utilize unstructured data. He shares personal anecdotes about using music to maintain focus during actuarial exam studies and explains how he stays connected with WTW's employees through informal interactions and modern communication tools. Carl reflects on key career moments and lessons leaned along the way.   Carl is joined by Chris Lombardi, Karen Grote, and Jon Froster for this thoughtful conversation.   Contributors: Carl Hess, FSA, CERA; Chris Lombardi, FSA, MAAA; Karen Grote, FSA, MAAA; Jon Forster, ASA, MAAA Thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe! Want to keep up with the latest SOA news? Follow us on our social channels: Instagram: @soactuaries Facebook: Society of Actuaries LinkedIn: Society of Actuaries Twitter: @SOActuaries About Us: With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world's largest actuarial professional organization with more than 32,000 actuaries as members. Serving as the SOA's research arm, the SOA Research Institute provides objective, data-driven research bringing together tried and true practices and future-focused approaches to address societal challenges and your business needs. It provides trusted knowledge, extensive experience and new technologies to help effectively identify, predict and manage risks. ● Learn more about Influence in the Actuarial Profession and other engaging topics relevant for actuaries on the Professional Development Edge Subscription product.    https://www.soa.org/prof-dev/pd-edge/  

What is it really like to work as an actuary in a fast-moving startup versus a large, established company? In this episode, YPAC member Zack Moore sits down with Matt Briggs to unpack the realities of both worlds, from culture and pace to impact, growth, and career satisfaction. They explore how actuaries fit into each environment, the trade-offs between stability and innovation, and what young professionals should consider when choosing their own path. Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder or diving into startup life, this conversation offers insights to help you shape a career that fits your goals.

In this episode of the Get Plugged In podcast originally published in September 2025, host Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries, is joined by Joe Alaimo, CEO of ProComp Consulting Inc. and Community Advisory Team Member of the Emerging Topics Community. Together, they delve into the findings of a recent roundtable discussion focused on the role of generative AI in the actuarial profession. Joe shares highlights from the panel of actuaries and industry professionals who discussed real-world use cases, ethical concerns, and how actuaries are uniquely positioned to navigate the evolving landscape of AI. From code generation and digital coaches to actuarial modeling support, this conversation covers the growing impact of AI in insurance and risk management. Want to explore more? Access the full report and other valuable resources on our Artificial Intelligence landing page at SOA.org  Send us your feedback at [email protected]

This podcast episode features Dave Friesen and Tom Callahan discussing the collaboration between actuaries and data scientists. Tom is an Actuary who works extensively with data scientists, and Dave is a data scientist who works with Actuaries, making them a great combo for the topic.   Dave highlighted the operational focus of data science in improving workflows and customer experience, while Tom emphasized the financial impact focus of actuaries. They both agreed on the importance of clear communication and common terminology to bridge gaps between the two fields. They also shared examples of successful collaborations and the benefits of using modern data platforms and tools.  Contributors: Tom Callahan, FSA, MAAA; Dave Friesen; Joe Long, ASA, MAAA; Jon Forster, ASA, MAAA

Research isn't just for academics! This episode reveals how broad the impact of SOA research is – balancing the retrospective with the prospective – and why it's essential for actuaries and the broader public. YPAC Vice-Chair Tasso Bountouvas and guest R. Dale Hall discuss misconceptions, real-world applications, and how you can contribute – no PhD required. Tune in for practical advice, inspiration, and a glimpse into the future of actuarial science.

Listen in as Greg Fann interviews Moshe Nelkin about Medicare Supplement insurance. We will take you from Medicare basics through product details covering pricing assumptions, factors driving claims trend, regulatory considerations, challenges, opportunities, and more.

Roger Loomis sits down with Stephanie Moench and Michael Rustemeyer to discuss their paper that was just published by the SOA Research Institute: "Long-Term Care Wellness Primer", which can be downloaded here: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2025/long-term-care-wellness/

Listen to Juan Herrara and Danny Moore discuss pending claims, large claims, and using predictive analytics and other modeling techniques to develop these estimates.

Join host Tiana Zhao as she explores the cutting-edge trends reshaping the insurance landscape. From AI-driven underwriting to climate-focused products, this episode of the SOA Marketing and Distribution podcast dives deep into the technological and societal shifts transforming how we think about risk and protection. Discover how insurtech startups, IoT devices, and changing consumer expectations are driving innovation in product design, distribution channels, and customer experience. Whether you're an industry professional or simply curious about the future of insurance, this podcast offers valuable insights into the forces shaping the industry's evolution and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Anders Larson and Shea Parkes discuss using GenAI applications with coding agents to simulate healthcare costs.  They revisit the distinction between large language models (LLMs) and the applications that wrap them.  They then use some newer GenAI application functionality to generate some simulated healthcare cost distributions.  During their discussion they explore what domain knowledge the modern LLMs already have, and how to supplement that with their own domain expertise.