Description: A solicitation for letters to the editor of Expanding Horizons.

Description: This is Cecil Bykerk's acceptance speech for the SOA's presidency for 2008-2009 delivered at the 2008 annual meeting. He reviews volunteerism, the education of actuaries, networking and promoting actuarial brand.

Description: Article describes best practices for teaching a course module that involves multiple parameters. A good example is hypothesis testing which requires consideration of the parameters, sample-size, population distribution, known variance and has as consequences whether a normal or t distribution should be used or whether non parametric methods are used. The articles recommends use of the Prime Implicant Normal Form as a means of teaching. It shows the superiority of this method over other forms such as heuristics, complete rules, or graduated approaches.

Description: York University will host the 2025 Actuarial Research Conference (ARC) from July 29 to August 1, 2025, bringing together scholars, industry leaders, and regulators to exchange ideas and present cutting-edge research in actuarial science. The conference will feature keynote speeches, research presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. York’s actuarial program, recognized as a Center of Actuarial Excellence, will showcase its vibrant research environment and strong partnership with the Risk and Insurance Studies Centre (RISC). The event also highlights Toronto’s dynamic cultural scene, with planned activities such as a visit to the historic Casa Loma, enhancing the experience for attendees. ARC 2025 promises to be an enriching and memorable event for all participants.

Description: This is the third in a four-part series dedicated to strategies for improving EQ, based on the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 written by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves. In previous issues of The Stepping Stone, I discussed the skills of self-awareness and self-management. In this article, I will share a few more of the book’s strategies and provide examples and personal insights to illustrate how to develop the third skill of social awareness in personal, social, and business situations.

Description: The chair of the International Section of the SOA reports to the section members.

Description: A summary recap of the recent SOA Health Conference held in Dallas, TX in June of 2025. With the intentional use of AI to assist with the summary, this article gives a good overview of the recent conference with personal commentary from one of the attendees.

Description: An actuary striving for a broad leadership role needs to build strong communication and influencing skills, as well as strategic and general business skills. They must be able to quickly adapt to being submerged in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment. This workshop is intended to educate mid-level actuaries on the key characteristics that define good leaders and how to focus on building the skills necessary to successfully transition into a leadership role. At the conclusion of this workshop, attendees will: - Be able to determine if a leadership path is right for them - Learn the key competencies that make good leaders - Understand how to build the skills necessary to move from technical expert to leader

Description: News release announcing the change to section dues. Section dues will now be part of member's annual membership. SOA non-members will still pay a nominal fee to join a professional interest section.

Description: "Given the typical career trajectory of an actuary starts with increasing technical skill, we often overlook developing our communication skills, much to the determent of our overall career growth and business effectiveness. The only way that our work turns into business action is through communication, and business action is the sole purpose of our analyses. Come explore several ways to communicate more effectively by developing an understanding of our audience and what their “win” is, focusing on developing impactful messaging and outlining clear action, and how networking, especially broadly across the organization, can help us communicate more effectively. After this session you will be able to: Understand your audience and tailor your communication appropriately Develop clear messaging and explanations and deliver next steps Understanding how broadening your network can help you communicate more effectively"