Young Professional Advisory Council: Who I Want to Be - The Struggles, Hopes, and Dreams of a Career Changer and Experienced Actuary

The Young Professional Advisory Council's Justin Le speaks with Gouri Kumaran,  AVP at Kuvare, about her challenges and triumphs as a career changer into the actuarial profession and her experiences along the way.

In this episode, host Ankit Nanda, FSA, MAAA, FCA, speaks with Dr. Mei Sum Chan, Head of Medical Analytics, R&D at Pacific Life Re, about the science of biological aging and what it means for actuaries. The conversation covers how biomarkers of aging are measured, what real-world data can (and cannot) tell us about health and longevity, and how these developments are beginning to shape actuarial work in health and longevity risk.

The Young Professional Advisory Council's Adam Krompiewski speaks with Cristi-Alice Danielson, Director of Individual Products & Pricing at Wawanesa Insurance, about building a unique actuarial career with a smaller company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Host Ankit Nanda, FSA, MAAA, FCA, speaks with Paul Skrtich, ASA, MAAA, ACIA, Senior Vice President, Accident and Health at OdysseyRe, about how health insurance looks from the reinsurer's seat, where the tail of the claims distribution drives the economics. The conversation covers lasers on known high-cost claimants, emerging cost drivers from skin substitutes to GLP-1s and cell and gene therapies, and how ACOs and provider-payer alignment of interests reshape the risk reaching the excess layers.

Jeff Dunn, President and CEO of Cooperative Benefits Group, joins host Ankit Nanda, FSA, MAAA, FCA, to map the U.S. payer landscape and the forces reshaping it. Drawing on a career that runs from managed care pharmacy into benefits consulting, he sets out how employers, health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, providers, and consultants fit together, where incentives genuinely align and where they only appear to, and what the fiduciary and transparency environment means in practice. The conversation closes on where the market is heading over the next three to five years and what health actuaries should do differently in trend, pricing, and plan design work.

Cori Uccello, FSA, MAAA, FCA, MPP joins host Ankit Nanda, FSA, MAAA, FCA for a tour of the U.S. health insurance coverage landscape, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA marketplaces. Drawing on a career as the senior health fellow at the American Academy of Actuaries, MedPAC commissioner, and Congressional Budget Office panel of health advisers member, she discusses how actuarial analysis enters policy debates, where it carries weight, and what actuaries should understand about the programs shaping the market they price in.

Coaching Actuaries has become a familiar name to actuarial candidates around the world—but how did it all begin? In this episode, we sit down with Dave Kester, founder of Coaching Actuaries, to discuss the journey of building the company, the evolution of actuarial education, and what the future may hold for aspiring actuaries.

What happens when actuaries move beyond the model and into the heart of business strategy? In this episode of The Strategic Pivot, Jundie Wei, FSA, MAAA, and FP&A leader John Visicaro explore how actuaries are becoming essential partners in forecasting, capital management, and executive decision-making. From translating complex assumptions into business impact to answering the critical "so what?" behind the numbers, this conversation highlights the growing role of actuaries in shaping the future of finance.

Young Professional Advisory Council's Chris Pellegrino discusses working remotely as an actuary with Chris Olechowski, Partner at Actuarial Resources Corporation. Listen in to hear about the evolution of remote work in the actuarial field through from the perspective of an actuary in leadership.

The SOA is evolving – and so is the way members connect. This episode explores the shift from the traditional SOA Section model to a new community engagement approach, unpacking what it means for members across the organization and, in particular, for those in the Life and Annuity space. Whether you've been an SOA member for decades or are just getting started, tune in to hear how this change opens up new ways to collaborate, grow, and shape the profession. Host Ryan Kiefer, ASA, MAAA speaks with guests Ryan Holt, FSA, MAAA and Kelly Rabin, FSA, MAAA Relevant Links:  Introducing SOA Communities Life and Annuities Community