PD Edge Pod Episode 6: From Actuary to CEO, Carl Hess on his leadership journey at WTW
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
Release Date: 12/02/2025
Investment and Risk Management Community: The Strategic Pivot: Actuaries in FP&A
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
What happens when actuaries move beyond the model and into the heart of business strategy? In this episode of The Strategic Pivot, Jundie Wei, FSA, MAAA, and FP&A leader John Visicaro explore how actuaries are becoming essential partners in forecasting, capital management, and executive decision-making. From translating complex assumptions into business impact to answering the critical “so what?” behind the numbers, this conversation highlights the growing role of actuaries in shaping the future of finance.
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Young Professional Advisory Council: Navigating the Remote Workplace as an Actuarial Leader
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
Young Professional Advisory Council’s Chris Pellegrino discusses working remotely as an actuary with Chris Olechowski, Partner at Actuarial Resources Corporation. Listen in to hear about the evolution of remote work in the actuarial field through from the perspective of an actuary in leadership.
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Life and Annuities Community: Beyond Sections: The Future of SOA Community Engagement
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
The SOA is evolving – and so is the way members connect. This episode explores the shift from the traditional SOA Section model to a new community engagement approach, unpacking what it means for members across the organization and, in particular, for those in the Life and Annuity space. Whether you've been an SOA member for decades or are just getting started, tune in to hear how this change opens up new ways to collaborate, grow, and shape the profession. Host Ryan Kiefer, ASA, MAAA speaks with guests Ryan Holt, FSA, MAAA and Kelly Rabin, FSA, MAAA Relevant Links: ...
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Young Professional Advisory Council: AI, Risk, and the Next Generation of Insurance
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
AI is changing every industry—and insurance is no exception. In this episode, we discuss how artificial intelligence could reshape actuarial work, risk management, and the future of the insurance industry, while also exploring how AI is affecting our personal lives and everyday decision-making.
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Young Professional Advisory Council: Evolving the FSA Pathway, 6 Months Later
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
The Young Professional Advisory Council's Ben Tolzmann sits down with Doug Norris of the SOA's fellowship education department to discuss the recent changes to the FSA pathway and how the transition has been going through 2 exam cycles.
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Young Professional Advisory Council: Teaching Tomorrow's Actuaries - Eddie Smith's Journey in Exam Education
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
Young Professional Advisory Council’s Jake Davis discusses exam education and career development with Eddie Smith, Director of SOA Exams at The Infinite Actuary and FSA exam instructor. Learn about Eddie’s transition from practicing actuary to exam educator, effective study strategies for FSA exams, and how exam preparation has and will continue to evolve.
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Healthcare, AI, and Entrepreneurship with Mark Cuban, Dave Dillon, and Jon Forster . PD Edge Pod episode 9
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
This episode of the Society of Actuaries’ Professional Development Edge podcast features Dave Dillon, Senior Vice President and Principal at Lewis & Ellis; entrepreneur and founder of Cost Plus Drugs, Mark Cuban; and Jon Forster, the SOA’s Director of PD Learning and Content Design. Together, they explore entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and the evolving healthcare landscape. The conversations move from what it takes to be successful in business, the current healthcare landscape, and the state of AI in Actuarial work. Mark shares the origin and mission behind Cost...
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Young Professional Advisory Council: What is the SOA, and Why Should I Care?
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
Join us for a discussion about the SOA and why you should care about the SOA, its purpose, and its strategic plan! In this episode of the Young Professional Advisory Council podcast, YPAC member Carolyn Ellis and guest Gabi Dieguez, SOA board member, discuss the SOA as a professional organization, the roles of employees, members, and volunteers, and dive deep into why the SOA is important to us as actuaries and the critical role volunteers play in the SOA’s success now and into the future.
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Emerging Topics Community: GenAI Agents: Designing Choose Your Own Adventures for LLMs
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
Anders Larson, FSA,MAAA and Shea Parkes, FSA, MAAA provide a clear, approachable look at how modern AI systems really think, act, and respond. They dive into the hidden machinery behind today’s GenAI applications – exploring how agent frameworks guide LLMs through structured, choose‑your‑own‑adventure–style decision loops. Using practical examples from Microsoft Copilot and actuarial workflows, they break down how middleware, tool calls, and general context transform raw models into useful business assistants.
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Professional Development Edge Podcast Ep. 8 Working with Ambiguity with Aree Bly
SOA Podcasts - Society of Actuaries
The podcast features Jon Forster interviewing Aree Bly, founder of Alignment Ally and author of "The Sustainable Brain," focusing on the importance of developing comfort with ambiguity for actuaries and other professionals. Aree shares practical examples from her career, such as handling ambiguous data formats in healthcare analytics, and discusses strategies for determining when work is "good enough" without sacrificing quality. The conversation covers tools like the RACI framework for clarifying roles and responsibilities, and offers advice for navigating ambiguity arising from...
info_outlineThe podcast features a conversation with Willis Towers Watson CEO Carl Hess, who discusses his progression from actuary to CEO, emphasizing the importance of analytical skills, communication, and people management in leadership. Carl highlights how technology and AI are transforming the actuarial profession, noting that automation and AI projects at WTW are helping staff focus on more productive work and better utilize unstructured data. He shares personal anecdotes about using music to maintain focus during actuarial exam studies and explains how he stays connected with WTW’s employees through informal interactions and modern communication tools. Carl reflects on key career moments and lessons leaned along the way. Carl is joined by Chris Lombardi, Karen Grote, and Jon Froster for this thoughtful conversation.
Contributors: Carl Hess, FSA, CERA; Chris Lombardi, FSA, MAAA; Karen Grote, FSA, MAAA; Jon Forster, ASA, MAAA
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With roots dating back to 1889, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 32,000 actuaries as members. Serving as the SOA’s research arm, the SOA Research Institute provides objective, data-driven research bringing together tried and true practices and future-focused approaches to address societal challenges and your business needs. It provides trusted knowledge, extensive experience and new technologies to help effectively identify, predict and manage risks.
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