Every year, the spring season has two conflicting effects on me. The longer and brighter days raise my spirits and encourage me to bolster my vitamin D levels, by enjoying the outdoors
Every year, the spring season has two conflicting effects on me. The longer and brighter days raise my spirits and encourage me to bolster my vitamin D levels, by enjoying the outdoors. Unfortunately, my strong desire to do so is promptly curtailed by the very adverse effects of hay fever. Left between a rock and a hard place, my choice is to remain apart from nature. Earlier this month, as I was trying to forget my envy at seeing others enjoy the good weather, I decided to cheer up with some jokes about actuaries. But guess what? I found nothing! Or at least not anything that most human beings would consider funny.
I would love to be able to announce that the current issue of The Actuary is full of jokes about actuaries, but I can't. However, I can assure you this issue is full of really interesting, forward-looking topics that, hopefully, you will be able to enjoy - be it in the sun or in the shade.
In our monthly interview, Michael Green discusses solutions to an extremely challenging global problem: how can social development be measured? Although measuring is not an end in itself, it is a great contribution that actuaries can make to evaluate the effectiveness of different policies. And on a tangentially related problem, several professionals discuss the link between investments and the environment, a hot topic these days that continues to dominate among insurers and pension funds.
In this issue, we also focus on non-life insurance, which technology is swiftly changing. Andy Goldby discusses the positive influence that telematics can have on road safety, and to what extent this affects those in the business of providing protection. And continuing with the so-called fourth industrial revolution, Ravin Jesuthasan and Day Bishop provide some perspective on the implications of technology on the insurance value chain.
The highly stimulating content in this issue should make up for the lack of jokes about actuaries.
Enjoy the read!
Francisco Sebastian
Editor