Marc Fernet, CIA Past President, passed away on October 19 at the age of 86. Although he was known as a man of few words, he was described by some as a “genius” when it came to putting words to paper.
While working at Sobeco, he was known for his focus on the pension industry and acted as a role model to younger actuaries, offering guidance on how to act in the public interest while simultaneously maintaining a sardonic sense of humour and a calm presence that put people at ease.
Marc played a role in strengthening the profession and the future of actuarial practice as a member of what would later be known as the Crawford Task Force in July of 1988 and volunteered a wealth of his time and expertise in the following CIA committees:
- Committee on International Relations
- Committee on Education and Examinations
- Committee on Pension Terminology
- Committee on Professional Assistance
- Committee on Professional Conduct
- Committee on Professional Surveys
- Pension Plan Financial Reporting Committee
- Pension and Social Security Liaison Committee
For his contributions, the CIA presented Marc with the gold award (later renamed the Award of Excellence) in 2015. After serving as CIA President between 1995 and 1996, he continued his career at Mercer until his retirement.
“I was Marc’s colleague at Mercer for the last 15 years of his career. We shared a common interest in pension plan consulting. I remember a grand character with a deep voice. He loved when we went to his office to ask his advice about a problem with a client. He would stop what he was doing, listen and provide us with his advice without asking for anything in return. Younger colleagues saw in him a model actuary looking for pragmatic solutions in respect of the public interest”.
Michel St-Germain
As we mourn his passing and celebrate his legacy, we encourage you to share your memories of Marc in the comments below.
“I was one of Marc’s colleagues at Sobeco and he was certainly a great Pension Actuary and a role model when it came to work and professional ethics. I remember him as an impressive tall man with a deep voice, very smart and knowledgeable, interested, very serious, and at the same time with a great sense of humor.”