Hello everyone!
We are excited to introduce ourselves as your inaugural co-chairs: Kwesi Acquah, formerly of the Actuary of the Future section council, and Tanner McKerlie, from the Leadership and Development section council. Together, we’re honored to help launch the new Career Development Community and can’t wait to embark on this journey with all of you.
We recognize that moving from five sections to one Community marks a significant transition for our interaction model. While change of this magnitude can be daunting, it also creates opportunities. Our primary goal on this journey is simple—to build a Community that is responsive, innovative and dedicated to serving its members.
Our Priorities for Year One
To lay the foundation for long-term success, we’re focused on three key priorities:
- Preserving the Value You Cherish. Whether you are joining us from one of the five sections that preceded this Community or are a brand-new member, you can expect the same great content, networking opportunities and engaging discussions that made our sections so valuable. The Community model is designed to build on and enhance those strengths, so you can expect an even richer experience moving forward.
- Expanding Perspectives and Topics through Community Subgroups. Through new Community subgroups, our members will be able to explore career-relevant topics in greater depth, connect with peers at similar stages of their careers and network globally. Whether you’re interested in exploring emerging professional areas, navigating international Society of Actuaries (SOA) membership, starting an independent practice, or any number of other topics, these Community subgroups will aim to offer a diverse range of conversations and resources to support your career journey.
- Creating More Ways to Get Involved. With the expanded framework of Communities, there are now more opportunities than ever to contribute via nonelected roles. We encourage you to volunteer—whether by creating content, facilitating topic calls, leading subgroups or any of the other various opportunities that will be available. Our commitment is to make it easy for you to actively participate and shape the direction of our Community in meaningful ways that align with your availability and interests.
Your Voice Matters
Most importantly, we want to hear from you and will continue to value your engagement. Each member of our leadership team is here out of a deep dedication to our mission and to supporting our members, but the true strength of this Community will come from your involvement and the value of your unique perspectives and skills.
No contribution is too small; whether you are beginning your career, advancing through the profession or enjoying retirement, your participation—in whatever form—will be instrumental in shaping the future of our Community.
We encourage you to dive in, connect with fellow members and help us build a vibrant, supportive Career Development Community. We look forward to working with you and to all that we can accomplish together!
Welcome to the Community!
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Neither the Society of Actuaries nor the respective authors’ employers make any endorsement, representation or guarantee with regard to any content, and disclaim any liability in connection with the use or misuse of any information provided herein. This article should not be construed as professional or financial advice. Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.
Kwesi Acquah, FSA, MAAA, is a senior manager at Deloitte. He can be contacted at kacquah@deloitte.com.
Tanner McKerlie, FSA, MAAA, CERA, is a consulting actuary at Milliman. He can be contacted at Tanner.McKerlie@milliman.com.