This article originally appeared in the CIA (e)Bulletin.
By Marc Tardif, FCIA
One of my final duties as President-Elect is to pay a visit to our local actuarial clubs, to speak to them about what’s happening in the CIA and what my priorities are for my upcoming term as President. This May, I was fortunate enough to visit four different locations – the Winnipeg Actuaries Club, the Waterloo Actuaries Club, the Actuaries Club of Toronto, and the Actuarial Club of Alberta, which is based in Calgary.
Our spring visits have become an unofficial tradition, as many of the clubs use their spring meeting as an opportunity to connect after exams, year-end reporting, and the winter season in general. Most of the clubs have been around for quite a while, but I was particularly pleased to see the Toronto club back in action after a hiatus of a few years. The organizers have done a solid job of rejuvenating their club and generating a lot of interest.
Member engagement and the next generation of actuarial talent
We had a lot to talk about at these presentations. I thought it was important to emphasize the main goals of the CIA strategic plan – education, governance, public policy, and emerging practices – as these will drive a lot of the Board’s focus in the coming year. Personally, I want to see a continued focus on member engagement, and we need to keep up the good work we have done on public policy, specifically with our public statements. Together, these will help ensure that Canadian actuaries are seen as valued professionals within Canada and abroad. As well, we have to keep a close eye on major practice initiatives such as IFRS 17, which affects a significant number of our members.
We had very good turnout for each event, and I was particularly struck by the attendance of younger members. I was very happy to see this next generation of actuarial talent take an interest in the profession. It demonstrates to me that we are vibrant and growing, which serves us very well going forward.
Thanks to everyone who attended and was involved in organizing these events. It was great talking to you, and I hope that our paths cross again in the future.
Marc Tardif, FCIA, is President-Elect of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
