CAS Releases Updated Career Encouragement and Community Building Strategy

The CAS Board of Directors has adopted an updated Career Encouragement and Community Building Strategy that reflects member feedback received through an exposure and comment period on the former Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) approved in 2022.

“Our new strategy builds upon our decades-long and unwavering commitment to fostering a multi-dimensional property and casualty actuarial profession,” said CAS Board Chair Frank Chang. “While the words we use to describe our activities to build career awareness and a sense of belonging for the CAS have changed, we remain fully dedicated to encouraging and welcoming a diversity of thought, background, and experience into our organization.”

270 member comments were submitted during the exposure period of the revised strategy, from January 13 to February 11, 2025. “The DEI Task Force of the Board reviewed and considered each comment from the membership, and we believe the final strategy is responsive to both support and concerns that were expressed,” said Chang.

What Changed from the January 2025 Exposure Draft 

The majority of comments submitted did not include specific suggestions for the Strategy but rather expressed general support for CAS’s continued commitment to building career awareness or opposition to the concept of DEI in general.

Those who were supportive of the CAS strategy noted appreciation of the new format and clarity and expressed agreement with the approach, especially expanding outreach efforts for building career awareness. Those who were opposed often emphasized the importance of a merit-based system, which has always been a part of our strategy, and concerns with goals, which were not part of the draft strategy. Some commenters both for and against noted that the varied definitions of the terms “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion” in current discourse may create confusion, while supporting the substance of the strategy and related activities. 

In light of the feedback, the revised strategy follows the formatting and approach laid out in the exposure draft, with the following changes.  

• The terms “DEI” and others, which we understand are interpreted differently by different people, have been replaced with language less likely to be interpreted differently than intended. In a nod to wording widely-supported in the past, the new strategy title now includes “career encouragement,” which is a core purpose of the CAS. 

• Consistent with this revised language, the new strategy rearranges the order of the items under Our Approach to put Increasing Career Awareness at the top. 

In addition to making the changes to the strategy itself, the Board reviewed CAS support for actuarial organizations focused on building communities among specific demographic groups to ensure CAS support is focused on inclusive pipeline outreach activities.

“The feedback from CAS members was invaluable in clarifying questions and refining our language,” said CAS President David Cummings. “With the Board’s adoption of the revised strategy, we’ll refocus our efforts on executing against the far-reaching and ambitious five pillars of the 2025 CAS Strategic Plan.” 

CAS members and stakeholders are encouraged to review the updated Career Encouragement and Community Building Strategy. Questions or comments may be sent to Mallika Bender at mbender@casact.org.