The International Actuarial Association (IAA) is pleased to announce that, at its meeting on November 21, 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa, the Council of the IAA elected the following individuals to serve as Officers of the IAA effective January 1, 2017.

President: Thomas S. Terry (United States)
President-Elect: Masaaki Yoshimura (Japan)
Immediate Past President: Malcolm Campbell (Sweden)

All terms of office are for one year ending on December 31, 2017.

Mr. Terry's involvement in the work of the IAA started in 2009 as the Conference of Consulting Actuaries' delegate to the Pensions & Employee Benefits Committee, after which he served as Vice-Chairperson from 2010 to 2012 and Chairperson in 2015. Over the years, Mr. Terry has also served as a member of the Accreditation Committee, Mortality Working Group, Strategic Planning Subcommittee and various task forces. He was elected as a member of the Executive Committee in 2005, and chaired the Strategic Planning Subcommittee in 2016.

Mr. Terry offered these comments upon assuming the position of IAA President:

"Actuaries are deeply connected to the insurance, pension and healthcare industries, as well as the numerous government-sponsored systems providing valuable insurance, income and health protection for citizens around the world. 

The IAA's members are the home associations for practicing actuaries.  They provide the professional environment - education and practice standards - necessary to provide appropriate assurances to the stakeholders and publics they serve.  They also conduct essential research, and they address important and relevant public policy matters.

I'd like to highlight three key roles the IAA plays in support of our member associations and their shared interests.

First, the IAA supports its members in their pursuit of professional excellence.  The IAA establishes required minimum standards for its members in some areas, and develops voluntary model standards in others.  This degree of cooperation is enabled by the common orientation toward quality and serving the public interest that is shared across all our members.

Second, the IAA works to support the development of the actuarial profession in developing economies.  The promise of economic development can be fulfilled only to the extent that insurance and other risk-pooling systems are in place to provide the necessary protections against unexpected loss. 

Third, in working with other global organizations, the IAA speaks for its members as we collaborate towards the goals we share, namely, the development and maintenance of sound, sustainable financial security systems.

We'll be working on all three fronts in the year ahead.  We'll be examining our education standards, working to support the development of workable regulation in developing economies, and sharpening our focus on public policy matters - just to highlight a few initiatives.

I want to acknowledge both Malcolm Campbell, our insightful and dedicated 2016 IAA President, and Nicole Séguin, our gifted Executive Director who retired at the end of last year.  Many thanks to both of you for your leadership and the guidance you've provided me and everyone at the IAA! 

And, finally, I want to welcome Mathieu Langelier, our new Executive Director.  I know Mathieu and I both look forward to an exciting and productive 2017."

To learn more about the work of the IAA, please visit the IAA website or contact the IAA Secretariat.