Actuary Voices

Monique Hacker, Corporate Vice President and Actuary at New York Life, shares how the discipline and determination that made her a five-time NCAA track and field champion helped shape her career as an actuary. From landing her first actuarial job without an internship or passing an actuarial exam to building a career in life insurance, Monique reflects on the importance of resilience, consistency, and making the most of unexpected opportunities. She also explores how her definition of success has evolved from individual accomplishments to helping others succeed through mentorship and her involvement with the International Association of Black Actuaries. Monique shares why employers should look beyond traditional qualifications and how setbacks can become opportunities for growth. Additional Resources Explore the Academy's Student Resources Discover the Academy's Career Development Resources Visit the Academy's Career Center

In this episode of Actuary Voices: Policy Update, host Ted Gotsch speaks with Dr. Kim Ferrero, the Academy's assistant director of research, and Dr. Julia Goodwin, the Academy's senior research analyst, about how actuarial research helps inform public policy and translate complex risks into actionable insights.   The conversation explores the Academy's nonpartisan, data-driven approach to research, its collaboration across practice areas, and how its findings help policymakers and regulators better understand the trade-offs behind important decisions. Kim and Julia also discuss emerging research priorities for 2027, including updates to the Actuaries Climate Index, health care affordability, artificial intelligence, and the growing interconnectedness of risks across insurance and financial systems. 

Kyle Wan, chairperson of the Academy's Life Experience and Assumptions Committee, explores what happens when one of humanity's greatest achievements, living longer, creates new financial and societal challenges. Kyle examines how longer lifespans, declining birth rates, medical advances, and an aging population could reshape retirement, insurance, and the systems people rely on as they grow older.  He also explores the important difference between lifespan and healthspan. It's not simply about how long we live, but how many of those years we spend in good health. He breaks down why mental health, social connection, retirement income, and quality of life become increasingly important as people live longer.   Additional Resources Explore the Actuaries Longevity Illustrator Learn about the Academy's Life Experience and Assumptions Committee Read the Contingencies Article "Golden Years Life Expectancy"

Elizabeth Eason, Director of Actuarial Data Science at Willis Towers Watson, and host of the Network of Actuarial Women and Allies' podcast, Real Actuarial Women (RAW), explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and AI agents could change the way actuaries work and why adopting the technology shouldn't mean replacing the people behind the work. Elizabeth breaks down what AI agents can and can't do, where they could make actuarial workflows more efficient, and why human expertise, judgment, creativity, and communication may become even more valuable as routine tasks are automated.   She explores what these changes could mean for junior actuaries and the profession's talent pipeline, including whether automating traditional entry-level work could change how the next generation develops the skills needed to become actuarial leaders.   Additional Resources Explore the Academy's Artificial Intelligence Resources Read Tricia Matson's President's Message on Actuarial & Algorithmic Accountability Read the Actuarial Professionalism Considerations for Generative AI Discussion Paper

In this episode of Actuary Voices: Policy Update, host Ted Gotsch speaks with Katie Dzurec, the Academy's director of public policy outreach, about key developments from the NAIC's 2026 Summer National Meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The conversation explores how affordability, accessibility and trust shaped discussions across insurance practice areas, from rising health care costs and homeowners insurance challenges to artificial intelligence, climate risk and financial regulation. Katie also highlights the Academy's engagement with regulators throughout the meeting, work underway across health, life, property and casualty, and risk management and financial reporting, and what the Academy will be watching as the NAIC prepares for its Fall National Meeting in Dallas.