From Student Connections to Industry Insights: CAS at Gamma Iota Sigma’s 53rd Annual Conference

The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) was thrilled to take part in Gamma Iota Sigma’s (GIS) 53rd Annual Conference, held last month in Indianapolis. This event gathered more than 600 top risk management students and faculty advisers, along with a wide array of insurance professionals.

As a sustaining partner of GIS and a platinum sponsor of the conference, the CAS was an active participant of the event. With the goal to foster meaningful connections with students and candidates while helping advance their understanding of the actuarial profession, we had representatives attending industry roundtable and networking events, hosted two educational sessions, and held an informational booth at the career fair.

Throughout the two-day conference, CAS staff – including Chief Communications Officer Mike Boa, Director of Engagement Tamar Gertner, Student Engagement Coordinator Meredith Burke, and staff actuaries Ken Williams, FCAS, and Mallika Bender, FCAS – were on hand to meet with students at the career fair. Attendees were given the opportunity to learn more about the P&C actuarial profession, the resources available through CAS Student Central, and the CAS credentialing pathway.

The two educational sessions CAS hosted at the conference sparked thought-provoking discussion and offered attendees a closer look at some of the critical challenges currently facing the P&C industry.

The first session, “Exploring New Horizons in Mitigation for Insurance Pricing,” was led by Ken Williams, FCAS and Mallika Bender, FCAS. This presentation delved into the CAS Research Paper Series on Race & Insurance Pricing, specifically focused on the latest research from four newly published papers.  This topic has garnered increasing industry attention, and attendees had challenging questions for our presenters.

The second session, “Risk in Flames: Navigating the Impact of Wildfires in the P&C Industry,” tackled the growing concern of wildfire risk in the context of insurance. Presented by Katie Koch, FCAS, and Ken Williams, FCAS, this session explored the environmental changes resulting in increased wildfire risk and their implications for the P&C insurance sector.  

We are also delighted to celebrate the achievements of two outstanding CAS staff members, Mike Boa and Tamar Gertner, both of whom were recognized with the Service Award from GIS. This honor reflects their ongoing demonstration and commitment to GIS’s core values of service in supporting GIS actuarial students.

Gertner concluded her term as the Chair of the Professional Association Council, while Boa joined the GIS Board after serving on the Advisory Council.

We look forward to attending next year’s conference, where we plan to build on the momentum of this year’s event and continue to foster opportunities to share knowledge, collaborate, and promote innovation within the P&C industry.  The CAS remains committed to supporting GIS and its mission, and we are excited to continue to help empower the next generation of actuaries.