President Comment

Our profession was brought forth from pondering the unknown, chance and the uncertainty of lifespan

In 2016, under the leadership of the then immediate past president Nick Salter, the IFoA published a four-year diversity strategy: a thoughtful and informed plan to promote recognition, understanding and respect of our members’, volunteers’ and colleagues’ individual differences.

In my presidential address, I said: “Culture matters deeply. In fact, in a world of transformational change, culture is the only thing that really matters.”

I have spent the past few weeks reflecting on my first six months at the IFoA, in part prompted by the presidential cycle, and in part as I have now spent more time leading the IFoA from home than I have in the office!

When I became president last June, I scarcely could have imagined that a year later the world would be facing the challenges we are today.

Barely six months ago, pandemics were the preserve of a small group of experts. Now, COVID-19 and its consequences are all too pervasive.

Since the start of my presidency, I’ve had the rare privilege of being able to monopolise this page of The Actuary.

The Terminator is coming!  At least that's one potential vision of the future, invoked by Boris Johnson at the UN last year while he speculated about artificial intelligence (AI). We can certainly debate how realistic that vision is, and what the possible timescales might be.

Most actuaries work in industries and organisations that help to protect people against various risks. But will this continue to be true in an age of freedom, choice and individualism?