Richard Junker, FSA, MAAA & Curtis Lee Robbins, ASA, MAAA, FCA
Below, Rich and Curtis discuss the ideas behind the book and what it’s about!
How did you decide to write the book Design Your Future with the Competency Framework?
The book is a progression of small steps that led to larger steps:
- The first workshop at the Southeastern Actuaries Conference (SEAC) – interactive with discussion groups at several tables.
- Fortified by that modest success, we presented similar workshops at several meetings of the Society of Actuaries which led to an opportunity for a more traditional presentation at another meeting of the SEAC at their General Session.
- We were immediately gratified to hear from SEAC Programming Vice President Woolford London, who shared that he loved the presentation, and invited us to write an article for the Actuary of the Future newsletter (of which he was chairperson at the time).
- Starting from the slide deck of the presentation, we drafted new material that ripened into over twenty pages of inspired material – divided into four articles appearing over two years in the newsletter.
- Now possessed of all this material, we expanded our vision, collaborating next on a panel discussion at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries with Margaret Resce Milkint and SOA President Mike Lombardi in 2018.
- The next step, deciding to write the book, emerged incrementally with each newly published article and presentation, like pixels assembling ever so faintly to begin and growing ever denser, with the objective of reaching an extended audience to more widely engage the SOA Competency Framework.
- At last, we collaborated with leaders of the Society of Actuaries and ACTEX to support publication.
What are some insights you and your colleagues discovered through writing this book?
Aligning talents, skills and interests with a co-author is an opportunity to collaborate in creativity. We consider our collegial harmony as testimony to a serendipitous moment. Though we knew each other only through a hospitality session at the Southeastern Actuaries Conference, we proposed that, as new members, we gain ourselves some minor role by doing a workshop at the next meeting, about the SOA Competency Framework. We asked, “Why not?”, learning later that the Competency Framework was an opportunity alignment of Rich’s expertise in public speaking and Curtis’ support to professional development at Humana. And, so, we began our ten-year walk together, little imagining we would be writing a book for all the actuaries in the world!
It turned out that our talents have complemented each other wonderfully. Where one has talents, skills and interests in one area, the other provides the perfect balance through his special calling. How many opportunities does one get to know another person so thoroughly, so continuously through a full decade of one’s life?
We also recognized the SOA Competency Framework as a great foundation for professional development, produced by a team at the SOA through interviews with 3,000 actuaries. When introduced, a self-assessment and personal planning workbook gave the profession a great tool for actuaries to guide their development. We worked closely with Judy Powills, former SOA Senior Director of Curriculum and Content, who led the team delivering the SOA Competency Framework. When Judy retired, we became volunteer champions to engage the value of the SOA investment in the Competency Framework.
Also, once we paired our fortunes with Editor Margaret Resce Milkint, we widened our modest vision of inviting contributors, expanding to fully two dozen distinguished actuaries. Astonishing to us, almost everyone we petitioned to contribute was eager to jump on board with us, including our publisher ACTEX. How many would-be writers drift through months, spurned by one publisher after another?
The most recurring tip from our mastermind group was the centrality of volunteering in their career successes. During our careers as actuaries, we volunteered in various workgroups, committees and sections, but we had no idea of the power of continuous engagement as a volunteer. Now well into retirement, we offer our perspectives via this book, to enjoy the full meaning of fellowship, with extraordinary people.
Why do you think it’s beneficial for the actuarial community to have access to this information?
Thanks to the comprehensive training entailed in becoming an actuary, the profession attracts people with a marvelous combination of tenacity and curiosity. Our book expands the range of human endeavors to be curious about. Given the bias of the education system to produce either STEM graduates or arts graduates, many would-be actuaries enter the profession with an incomplete education, a vocational education. We are always learning how to learn. Versatility is the first cousin to creativity. Creativity is the trait most required of actuaries by their customers.
Second cousin to creativity is courage and confidence. It requires moxie and initiative to undertake learning new skills that may expose one to fear of insufficiency and the realization of inadequate competency. Communication entails word mastery and body mastery. In our book, we address the entire spectrum of the liberal arts that build a complete human being—talking, listening, dancing, acting, performing music, all build moxie and confidence in one’s capabilities and capacities.
Finally, our book elevates the value for using the SOA Competency Framework as a foundation for the professional development of our readers. Our readers also gain state-of-the-art reference to resources outside the Society of Actuaries to guide them in learning how their talents, strengths, and personalities contribute to a noble purpose and careers that are fulfilling and unique to each person and aligned with the Society of Actuaries Competency Framework. Throughout the book, the mission is to align the skills, behavior, knowledge, attitudes and attributes that lead to outstanding performance through excellence in technical and non-technical competencies for success and satisfaction in an actuarial career.
How do you think this will help actuaries in their careers?
We concur with three testimonials that open our book:
“Once we’ve finished taking our actuarial exams, we no longer have as clear a path for development. This book is a great tool and the more honest we are with ourselves as we work through it, the more valuable it will be!”
Jennifer Gillespie, FSA, MAAA President, Society of Actuaries, 2021-2022
“Identifying your own Noble Purpose as an actuary and in your life makes creating a five-year plan for personal growth meaningful and motivating. The Society of Actuaries has as one of its main initiatives ‘Spotlight Societal Purpose’. In our day-to-day work lives, setting prices, determining reserves and so on, we must remember that we provide humanity a great social good. The actuarial profession globally is estimated at about 80,000 individuals; but the work that we do provide is financial security for several millions of people around the world. This is the Noble Purpose that this book addresses.”
John Robinson, FSA, FCA, MAAA, President, Society of Actuaries (2022-2023),
President & Chief Actuary at Robinson Associates LLC
“Becoming an actuary can be a daunting task. Passing exams is difficult but it is a well-worn path. However, the path isn’t so clear after the exams; and the SOA created the Competency Framework as a guide to help actuaries find their way. Richard and Curtis have identified the wisdom in the framework and have invested years fine tuning the details on how to fit it to your needs. In particular, I found ’Heroes of Noble Purpose’ to be a breath of fresh air.”
Dave Kester, FSA, MAAA
Founder, Coaching Actuaries
Any other thoughts you’d like to share? Or advice for other actuaries?
“Carpe diem, carpe cras.” (*Seize the day, seize tomorrow)
And, from one of our contributors to Chapter 7, Renata De Leers, Member of the Institute of Actuaries (Belgium), and CEO of the independent association ‘Actuaires du Monde’, registered in France and continuing the activities of Actuaries Without Borders, with the main mission of making finance accessible to all.
“Fais de ta vie un rêve et d’un rêve, une réalité”
–Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
(*Make your life a dream, and a dream a reality.)
Rich attributes his three years as editor for the Technology Section Newsletter as formative in growing the audacity that we could write a book. Another formative investment for Rich over the years was his involvement as a Toastmaster. The theme of the Toastmasters organization is Find Your Voice.
Curtis accredits his prior experience as providing the foundation and confidence to co-author a book to inspire, motivate, and encourage others to grow their competencies—conducting training classes, consulting, corporate roles interacting with leaders and colleagues domestically and internationally, participating and leading professional committees, and working at Humana directing professional development for actuaries through working with Human Resource and corporate leaders. Curtis also gained confidence through writing speeches for high school and college courses as well as through Toastmasters and writing articles on health care reform and actuarial professional development.
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Questions & Article edited by Marilyn Simpson & Aisha Ali.