This past Wednesday (Mar. 26), the Delahanty Family Endowment for Mathematics Excellence Lecture Series welcomed Jeremy Pecora, FCAS, MAAA, a senior actuarial consultant with the risk consulting and software business of Towers Watson. His presentation, “Rising Through the Actuarial Profession,” provided students with an overview of the actuarial profession.
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty, analyzes and measures the financial implications of future risk, and develops and validates models. Pecora covered reasons for being an actuary, the skills that are needed in the profession and the steps to take in order to become an actuary.
Pecora discussed how actuaries are in one of the highest ranked professions and demand for actuaries continues to grow. The profession provides high earnings potential, does not required post-undergraduate education, and is less sensitive towards the economic cycles. Some of the skills necessary to succeed as an actuary include problem solving, strong communication (oral & written), computer skills, and a good background in math and finance. In order to become an actuary, students will need to complete a series of specialized exams and courses.
Actuaries are given the choice to choose between two different learned bodies, the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) which focuses on property and casualty insurance, and the Society of Actuaries (SOA), which has more traditional focuses on life, health, and pension insurance. Pecora is a member of CAS.
For more information on how to become an actuary, available scholarships, and more visit www.CASstudentcentral.org.