Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
    • Moody's - Climate Risk Insurers series
    • Webinars
    • Podcasts
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • January/February 2022
Opinion
President Comment

Rise to the challenge

Open-access content Louise Pryor — Wednesday 2nd February 2022

When I delivered my presidential address, we were living through a period of immense change, presenting both challenges and opportunities.

web_p5_CEO_LOUISE_PRYOR.jpg

Six months later we are still living in uncertain times, with no slowdown in the pace of change. I said then, and continue to believe now, that the best way for actuaries, the profession and the IFoA to succeed and be sustainable is for us to keep learning. I made a commitment that my presidency would focus on supporting you to develop your skills so you can adapt to change in existing areas of work, as well as move into new areas. With the start of the New Year, and halfway through my presidential term, I feel now is a good time to check in on that commitment.

I have believed for some years that climate-related risk is the biggest problem facing the world. Its broad reach and widespread effects mean it is a risk that actuaries cannot ignore. I also believe our profession can make a real impact. Assessment and management of climate-related risk is a relatively new field for actuaries, underscoring the need for us to keep learning and adapting our skillsets. The IFoA offers a broad range of resources to support you in this area, including a curated library, practical guides, a new credential and a deep dive into what sustainability means for our profession. All these and more are easy to find through our Sustainability Hub (bit.ly/IFoASustainHub).

Many of you are playing a leading role in the policy conversation on climate change and sustainability, while others are just starting out on their journey in this area, but we can’t rest on our laurels. The field is changing so rapidly that all of us need to develop and enhance our skills in climate risk and related areas, such as biodiversity. In doing so, we can help to ensure the profession continues to make an impact. And there’s so much to learn!

I hope all of you will join me in learning something this year that you feel will contribute to a brighter future.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2022.

Louise Pryor is the president of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

ACT JanFeb22_Full LR.jpg
This article appeared in our January/February 2022 issue of The Actuary .
Click here to view this issue

You may also be interested in...

yfk

Lessons on learning

The IFoA is a member organisation, so it’s important that we find out what our membership wants from us – which is why we recently surveyed all members. Many thanks to everyone who participated. The feedback that you have given us will help to shape what the IFoA does for its members, for the industries in which they work, and for wider society.
Wednesday 2nd March 2022
Open-access content
web-p4-Editors-page-Ruolin-Wang.jpg

Action all areas

Happy New Year, and happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate it. Welcome to the first issue of The Actuary for 2022. I’d like to start by thanking Dan Georgescu for his work on the magazine during the past couple of years. I’m delighted to be taking over as the new editor.
Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Open-access content
web_p5_CEO_Stephen-Mann.jpg

Making good progress

January marked two years since I joined the IFoA.
Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Open-access content
yufk

A broader remit

What is an actuary? Not only is this the most common reaction from new acquaintances when I explain what I do (with “An actress?!” a distant second), it is also a question that we, as a profession, have been asking ourselves.
Wednesday 2nd March 2022
Open-access content
lf

Measuring what is valued

There is always a lot going on, and we must not lose sight of the importance of having IFoA members as our advocates. We set ourselves a target to have a positive net engagement score (NES) in our member survey at the end of 2022. The feedback from 2021 is being analysed as I write, but we have made good progress year-on-year. I am hopeful that we have the momentum and initiatives to get us there in 2022. The mean average feedback is good, but NES is a measure of advocacy, and we would like more of our members to have this deeply felt sentiment.
Wednesday 2nd March 2022
Open-access content
web-p40-42-GettyImages-96380156.jpg

On balance: asset liability management for an IFRS 17 balance sheet

Richard Schneider, Jon Neale and Apostolos Papachristos discuss asset liability management for an IFRS 17 balance sheet
Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Open-access content
Filed in
Opinion
Also filed in
President Comment
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Senior Reserving Analyst

London (City of)
Negotiable
Reference
149485

Senior GI Modeler - Capital and Planning

London (Central)
£ excellent
Reference
149436

Risk Oversight Manager

Flexible / hybrid with a minimum of 2 days per week office-based
£ excellent
Reference
149435
See all jobs »
 
 

Today's top reads

 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2023 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ