Event Details
Boston Marriott Copley Place
110 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
04/20/2018
About This Event
The 2018 CAS Spring Meeting gives property-casualty insurance actuaries and consultants the opportunity to earn continuing education credits in a variety of sessions covering relevant and timely topics necessary for continued professional growth and maintaining actuarial credentials. Network with your peers and colleagues at a deluxe hotel located in the heart of the vibrant city of Boston.
Casualty Actuarial Society’s Envisioned Future (from the CAS Strategic Plan)
The CAS will be recognized globally as the premier organization in advancing the practice and application of casualty actuarial science and educating professionals in general insurance, including property-casualty and similar risk exposure.
SUGGESTED ATTIRE
Business casual attire is suggested for the conference sessions and receptions. It is best to wear layered clothing as meeting rooms tend to fluctuate in temperature.
In Boston, the average high temperature during May is 66° F / 19° C and the average low is 50° F / 10° C.
CONSENT TO USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES
Registration and attendance at or participation in CAS meetings, seminars and other activities constitutes an agreement by the registrant to the CAS’s use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or attendee’s image or voice in photographs, videotapes, electronic reproduction and audiotapes of such events and activities.
UNIVERSITY OF THE CAS (UCAS)
Visit the University of the CAS to enhance your experience in professional education. UCAS provides a virtual world of opportunities through the capture of live content from CAS meetings and seminars. UCAS offerings include a variety of session presentations, audio recordings, podcasts and recorded webinars.
Following the meeting, select sessions from the 2018 Spring Meeting will be recorded and available to meeting attendees for a discounted fee.
Please visit the UCAS website on the CAS home page for more information.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
The CAS Continuing Education Policy applies to all ACAS and FCAS members who provide actuarial services. Actuarial services are defined in the CAS Code of Professional Conduct as “professional services provided to a Principal by an individual acting in the capacity of an actuary. Such services include the rendering of advice, recommendations, findings or opinions based upon actuarial considerations.” Members who are or could be subject to the continuing education requirements of a national actuarial organization can meet the requirements of the CAS Continuing Education Policy by satisfying the continuing education requirements established by a national actuarial organization recognized by the Policy.
This activity may qualify for up to 15.2 CE credits for the Spring Meeting for CAS members. Participants should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. CAS members earn 1 CE credit per 50 minutes of educational session time, not to include breaks or lunch.
Note: The amount of CE credit that can be earned for participating in this activity must be assessed by the individual attendee. It also may be different for individuals who are subject to the requirements of organizations other than the American Academy of Actuaries.
CONTACT INFORMATION
- For more information on Spring Meeting content, please contact Dave Core, CAS Director of Professional Education and Research, at dcore@casact.org.
- For more information on attendee registration, please email arc@casact.org.
- For more information on the Spring Meeting other than registration or content issues, please email meetings@casact.org.
- For more information on other CAS opportunities or administrative policies such as complaints and refunds, please contact the CAS Office at (703) 276-3100 or visit the CAS website at www.casact.org.
REGISTRATION
Online Registration is closed.
Please register on site in Boston, MA starting Sunday, May 13 at 4pm.
The CAS Spring Meeting will be held May 13-16, 2018, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts. The registration fee includes educational sessions, three continental breakfasts, a luncheon on Monday, refreshment breaks, a welcome reception on Sunday and the Tuesday Buffet Dinner.
Please note the special one-day registration for Active Candidates* on Monday, May 14. The fee includes educational sessions, as well as Monday’s breakfast, luncheon and two refreshment breaks.
REGISTRATION FEES
REGISTRATION TYPE |
EARLY REG. FEE |
LATE REG. FEE |
CAS Member, Affiliate, Subscriber, Active Candidate,* or Member of a Worldwide Actuarial Association |
$1,150 |
$1,350 |
CAS Member Speaker/Board/EC |
$950 |
|
CAS Member Government Employee |
$575 |
|
CAS Academic Central Member*** |
$0 |
|
Non-CAS Member Speaker |
$0 |
|
Non-CAS Member |
$1,350 |
$1,550 |
Non-CAS Member Government Employee |
$675 |
|
Retired CAS Member |
$575 |
|
Spouse/Guest** |
$400 |
$500 |
Monday Only (Active Candidate*) |
$150 |
|
Post-Event Session Recordings**** |
$50 |
*An Active Candidate is a non-CAS member who has attempted at least one actuarial exam in the last two years.
**Person accompanying an Academic or CAS Member, Affiliate, Subscriber, Active Candidate* or Member of an Actuarial Association Worldwide to social functions. Attendance at educational sessions is not permitted with this registration fee category.
***Limited to Members of CAS Academic Central for up to three national CAS meetings or seminars each year.
Note Regarding Fees: All attendee registration fees will increase by $200 if the registration is received after April 20, 2018. Similarly, spouse/guest registration fees will increase by $100 if the registration is received after April 20, 2018. The CAS will send confirmations to all registrants prior to the meeting. A complete registration form and fee schedule is included.
SPOUSE/GUEST REGISTRATION FEE
The fee for the spouse/guest includes the following:
- Continental breakfasts (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
- Sunday Welcome Reception
- Tuesday Buffet Dinner
POST – EVENT SESSION RECORDINGS
As the CAS has done in the past, most of the sessions will be recorded with the audio synchronized to the presentation. This will allow you to earn additional CE units (as “other activity” according to the AAA’s qualification standards) by listening to these recordings after the Spring Meeting. As a registered meeting attendee, you are entitled to all the recordings once made available for a discounted fee. With the number of sessions planned, this may equal another 35-40 CE units.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
In lieu of the complete spouse/guest registration package, attendees may purchase individual tickets to the social events for their guests. Individual tickets are available for the continental breakfasts, Sunday Welcome Reception and the Tuesday Buffett Dinner. These individual tickets are not necessary for registered attendees to purchase, as each event is already included in the registration fee.
INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES
All ticketed events below are already included in both the attendee and the spouse/guest registration fee. These tickets are only intended for use by individuals not already registered.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS FOR PURCHASE - ALL TICKETED EVENTS BELOW ALREADY INCLUDED IN ATTENDEE REGISTRATION FEE |
COST |
Sunday Welcome Reception (Age 21+) |
$85 |
Sunday Welcome Reception (Child aged 3-20 years) |
$40 |
Buffet Dinner at the Boston Children’s Museum (Age 21+) |
$180 |
Buffet Dinner at the Boston Children’s Museum (Child aged 3-20 years) |
$85 |
Monday Continental Breakfast |
$50 |
Tuesday Continental Breakfast |
$50 |
Wednesday Continental Breakfast |
$50 |
CANCELLATION POLICY
Registration fees will be refunded for cancellations received by the CAS Office on or before May 4, 2018, less a $100 USD processing fee. Only written cancellations will be honored. Please send cancellation requests via fax to (703) 276-3108 or email to refund@casact.org.
In the rare event that a CAS meeting is canceled, participants receive a full refund for registration fees paid. Transportation and hotel costs or fees are the responsibility of attendee and are therefore not reimbursable by the CAS.
Beverly Phillips, Co-Chairperson*
David Core, Co-Chairperson
Linda Brobeck, Vice Chairperson
Kudakwashe Chibanda, Vice Chairperson
Frank Gribbon, Vice Chairperson
Stephanie Gould Rabin, Vice Chairperson*
Alex Alimi*
Keith Allen
Carl Ashenbrenner
Lynne Bloom*
Elliot Burn
Benoit Carrier
Michael Henk
Aaron Hillebrandt
Melissa Huenefeldt*
Charles Jin
Martin King
Matt Knepper*
Winnie Li
Dustin Loeffler
Mike Mancuso
Kelly McKeethan*
Meagan Mirkovich*
Erin Olson*
Keith Palmer
Minesh Patel
Jaya Perrier*
Seth Roby*
Sandy Santomenno
Sunde Schirmer*
Dave Snow
Katey Walker
Bob Wolf
Rich Yocius
Raisa Zarkhin
*Speaker Coach
The 2018 CAS Spring Meeting will be held at:
Boston Marriott Copley Place
110 Huntington Ave
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Main Phone: +1-617-236-5800
Set in the heart of downtown, Boston Marriott Copley Place offers hotel guests an exceptional experience. Our prime location is within walking distance of the chic boutiques and restaurants of Newbury Street and the Prudential Center. We’re also near attractions like Fenway Park, Copley Square and Boston Common. After exploring the area, relax in our well-appointed guest rooms and suites.
Take advantage of modern travel comforts like deluxe bedding, upgraded bathrooms, high-speed Wi-Fi and flat-panel televisions. Upper floor rooms reveal stunning views of the Back Bay. For those with an eye toward fitness, the property boasts a state-of-the-art fitness facility and indoor swimming pool. Savor a treat in our sophisticated Connexion Lounge or cheer for your team in Champions, our popular sports bar.
The hotel also features over 70,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, including the largest ballroom in New England and an award-winning catering team, making us an ideal choice for your next event.
Room Rate: $279 for single/double room, plus taxes and is inclusive of high-speed Internet access within the sleeping room. Reservations must be made prior to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern) on April 20, 2018. Check in at the Boston Marriott Copley Place is 4:00 p.m. and check out is by 12:00 p.m.
Reservations may be made online or via telephone:
- For online reservations, visit https://aws.passkey.com/go/CASSpringMeetingMay2018.
- For telephone reservations, call 877-901-2079 and reference Casualty Actuarial Society-Spring Meeting.
While reservations must be made prior to April 20, 2018, in order to receive the $279 rate, there is no guarantee that rooms will be available should you wait until this date. CAS strongly suggests that you make your room reservations early to secure accommodations before the room block fills.
ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION
For more information on the hotel or the Boston area, please visit either http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosco-boston-marriott-copley-place/ or https://www.boston.gov/visiting-boston, respectively.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING OFFICIAL SPRING MEETING HOTEL
The Casualty Actuarial Society is able to conduct high-quality meetings at desirable sites for a reasonable registration fee because a block of hotel rooms is reserved for meeting attendees. In exchange for filling the required number of sleeping rooms, the CAS is permitted to use the hotel’s meeting space at no cost, thus keeping registration fees low. In addition, meeting attendees receive a reduced rate for their sleeping rooms. We kindly request that all meeting attendees take advantage of the group rate and stay at the official Spring Meeting property, Boston Marriott Copley Place.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
The Boston Marriott Copley Place is located approximately 9.7 miles from Boston Logan International Airport.
- The estimated one-way taxicab fare from this airport to the hotel is around $40 USD.
- Boston is served by the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) subway system and the hotel is conveniently located a few blocks away from the Back Bay and Prudential subway stations. System maps and fares may be found on MBTA’s web page.
- Valet parking is available at the hotel for $60 USD/day. Taxis are readily available.
Driving directions to the hotel are available online
Jeffrey Ma, Vice President of Analytics at Twitter
"The House Advantage: How to Win with Data"
As one of the leaders of the infamous MIT Blackjack team, Jeff Ma was the inspiration for the main character in the best-selling book Bringing Down the House and the hit movie, 21. In addition, he has helped start four different companies including GolfSpan.com (sold to Demand Media), CircleLending (sold to Virgin), Citizen Sports (sold to Yahoo) and tenXer (acquired by Twitter). In that time, he has become a sought-after speaker showing companies how to harness the power of numbers to make better bottom line business decisions; decisions that, often, are the difference between winning and losing. Mr. Ma's featured address will focus on data driven solutions.
Beyond his work in the start-up world, Ma has worked as a consultant to the San Francisco 49ers, the Portland Trail Blazers and Adidas, helping them to make better decisions using data and analytics. He spent two years working as on air talent for ESPN and served as their Predictive Analytics Expert. His book, "The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business" was a business bestseller and draws on his unique experiences at the table and in the sports world creating a truly accessible work about business analytics.
Ma currently serves as the Vice President of Analytics at Twitter, where he leads the central analytics and data science team helping the company to make better data driven decisions. He is working on his second book which will explore the second chapter of big data in the real world.
Get exposure for your company by sponsoring at the Spring Meeting. A sponsorship allows your company to stand out among competitors.
Do not delay, as opportunities are limited! Contact Mike Boa at (703) 562-1724 or mboa@casact.org for details on becoming a sponsor.
Download a copy of the 2018 Sponsor Prospectus.
https://www.casact.org/education/spring/2018/LOA.pdf
https://conventionphotos.zenfolio.com/cas18spring
GUEST PROGRAM
The fee for the Spouse/Guest Program is $400.
The fee for the spouse/guest includes the following:
- Continental breakfasts (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
- Sunday Welcome Reception
- Tuesday Buffet Dinner
SPOUSE/GUEST PROGRAM
SUNDAY, MAY 13 |
|
4:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. |
Registration |
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. |
Recognition Reception for New Associates and their Spouses/Guests (including New ACAS Group Photo Session) |
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. |
Welcome Reception |
MONDAY, MAY 14 |
|
7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
8:00 a.m.–8:45 a.m. |
Celebration of New Members |
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. |
Officers’ Reception for New Fellows and their Spouses/Guests |
~~~ Remainder of Evening is Free to Enjoy ~~~ |
|
TUESDAY, MAY 15 |
|
7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. |
Tuesday Buffet Dinner at Boston Children’s Museum |
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 |
|
7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
TUESDAY BUFFET DINNER AT THE BOSTON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
Prepare to play! On Tuesday evening the Boston Children's Museum hosts CAS Spring Meeting attendees for a night of fun with a whimsical spin on networking. Located in the heart of Boston 's Innovation District, and situated right on Boston's Fort Point Channel, the museum is a unique and eclectic venue offering some of the most breathtaking views of Boston 's magnificent skyline. The entire museum is available for exploration and amusement and you are encouraged to engage in the interactive experiences throughout the venue. Dress for the event is casual.
TUESDAY EVENING TRANSPORTATION TO DINNER
Shuttle buses will run continuously between the hotel and museum beginning at 6:15 p.m. and running through 10:00 p.m.
To reach the buses from the Marriott
- Go to 2nd floor of hotel
- Walk past Champions and into mall
- Proceed straight across hallway to escalators down to street
THINK YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION? THREE PERSPECTIVES THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU
Most professionals truly believe they are dedicated to diversity and inclusion, but few take meaningful steps to make that a reality. In this Professionalism session, panelists who are on the front lines of implementing diversity and inclusion in the workplace will discuss why they are essential for success and share concrete strategies for diversity and inclusion. The panel will also discuss the findings from the recent CAS-sponsored research on diversity in the actuarial profession, which revealed the key barriers for individuals pursuing the actuarial career.
Moderator:
Mallika Bender, Consultant, Willis Towers Watson
Panelists:
Dawn Frazier-Bohnert, SVP and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Erika Schurr, VP & Chief Actuary, Travelers Canada
Lori Bailey, Global Head of Cyber Risk, Zurich North America
WHERE IS THE INSURANCE CYCLE?
After significant property catastrophe losses in 2017 and with some lines beginning to experience adverse development, many industry observers predicted that we are entering a hard market. Yet actual evidence can be hard to find. Are we in a new phase of the cycle?
The speakers will describe different predictors of hard markets, look at how they have performed historically, and describe what they are signaling today.
Then they will discuss new macro drivers in today's insurance environment, including data and analytics, improved risk disclosures, the surge in alternative capital, and fallout from the Global Financial Crisis, and consider the potential impact of each on the cycle going-forward.
Moderator:
Benoit Carrier, Managing Director, Aon Benfield
Panelists:
James Lynch, Chief Actuary & Vice President of Research & Education, Insurance Information Institute
Dr. Stephen Mildenhall, Assistant Professor, St. John's University
INSURERS ARE LIKE ZOOS - MORE COMPELLING WHEN THERE ARE CATS ON OFFER
A top priority item for insurance carriers is top line growth. However, with a finite insurance marketplace, massive advertising spends, and fierce competition, chasing top line can feel like a zero-sum race to the bottom. Further complicating the strategic agenda for many underwriters is an increasing intolerance for natural catastrophe risk exposure, especially given that 2017 included three hurricanes, a Mexico earthquake, and two wildfires. But what if the way to achieve growth could be accomplished by getting smarter about catastrophe exposure management? Is being BULLISH about CATS mixing too many metaphors or is the activity we saw in 2017 the new normal?
Moderator:
Dustin Loeffler, Director, Aon Benfield
Panelists:
Paul Eaton, Managing Director, Aon Benfield
Peter Sousounis, Assistant Vice President, AIR Worldwide
DIGITAL DISRUPTION
The news is filled with stories about Insurtech, innovation, disruption, telematics, connected home, connected worker, connected everything, data science, unstructured data, machine learning, artificial intelligence—it can all be a bit overwhelming. Actuaries have varying opinions on the nature, scope, degree and timing of the impact of all these changes on the profession. What we do know is major employers of actuaries (insurers, reinsurers, consultancies, intermediaries), as well as technology companies, and even venture capital firms are investing significant time, effort and money into disrupting the insurance value chain. If the value chain is disrupted, we actuaries will be disrupted. It’s a matter of when, how much, and what if anything can we do to survive and thrive these turbulent times.
This general session will take a first pass at an Actuarial Profession SWOT Analysis—Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the actuarial profession in light of these changes, as well as the threats to both our current employers and to the actuary’s roles in these evolving insurers.
We will also discuss opportunities for actuaries to help lead our industry forward in these challenging and exciting times.
Moderator:
Frank Gribbon, Senior Actuarial Consultant, Verisk
Panelists:
Don Mango, Principal, Innovensure Advisory Solutions
Eric Boyum, Managing Director, Aon Benfield
Sam Friedman, Insurance Research Leader, Deloitte Center for Financial Services
SUNDAY, MAY 13 |
|
4:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. |
Registration |
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. |
Recognition Reception for New Associates and their Spouses/Guests (including New ACAS Group Photo Session) |
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. |
Welcome Reception |
MONDAY, MAY 14 |
|
7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
Registration |
7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
8:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. |
Welcome, Celebration of New Members |
8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
Refreshment Break |
8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
New Member Group Photo Session (FCAS, CERA) |
9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. |
Featured Speaker: Jeffrey Ma |
10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. |
Business Session |
10:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m. |
Refreshment Break |
11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
General Session I |
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. |
Luncheon |
1:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m. |
Concurrent Sessions 1 |
2:45 p.m.–3:15 p.m. |
Refreshment Break |
3:15 p.m.–4:30 p.m. |
Concurrent Sessions 2 |
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. |
Officers' Reception for New Fellows and their Spouses/Guests |
~~~ Remainder of Evening is Free to Enjoy ~~~ |
|
TUESDAY, MAY 15 |
|
7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. |
Registration |
7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. |
General Session II |
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. |
General Session III |
8:40 a.m.–4:15 p.m. |
Student Program |
9:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. |
Refreshment Break |
10:00 a.m.–11:15 a.m. |
Concurrent Sessions 3 |
11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m. |
Lunch on Your Own |
1:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m. |
Concurrent Sessions 4 |
3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. |
Optional: Roundtable Discussions or Additional Concurrent Session |
7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. |
Tuesday Buffet Dinner at Boston Children's Museum |
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 |
|
7:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. |
Registration |
7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
8:00 a.m.–9:15 a.m. |
Concurrent Sessions 5 |
9:15 a.m.–9:45 a.m. |
Refreshment Break |
9:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m. |
General Session IV & Adjournment |
The CAS will be offering eight roundtables on Tuesday, May 15, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. They are limited to 15 participants each, except for Roundtable 6 (36 participants). If you are interested in participating, please review this list of facilitators and topics. You may only pick one roundtable and we will honor the first 15 that register in each one, after which the registration for that roundtable will be closed.
Take advantage of this opportunity to discuss a real-world challenge and earn CE credits. Space is limited. First-come, first-served.
This is only available to Spring Meeting registrants.
RT-1: CAPITAL ALLOCATION BY PERCENTILE LAYER
Neil Bodoff will lead a discussion of capital allocation with emphasis on the Exam 9 paper “Capital Allocation by Percentile Layer”.
Facilitators:
Neil Bodoff
RT-2: A JOINT RISK MANAGEMENT SECTION-SPONSORED ROUNDTABLE: OPTIMIZING OUR COLLABORATION
Discuss current events and concerns as well as updates on research and tools. In the enterprise risk management Space, what are your concerns, opportunities, ideas? Have we entered an era that ERM is accepted within our domains and within our audiences? We, as a profession, have suggested standards of practice.
Facilitators:
David Ingram; Robert Wolf
RT-3: CYBERRISK
Participants will discuss the current issues in cyber as pertains to actuaries.
Facilitator:
Michael Solomon
RT-4: DISCUSSION WITH ADMISSIONS
Sit down with leaders from CAS Admissions to discuss recent initiatives, including MAS exams, Integrative Questions, and Technology-Based Examinations. Share your thoughts on how we can better prepare our members of the future.
Facilitators:
Jeanne Crowell; Jason Russ
RT-5: GETTING STARTED ON ECONOMIC CAPITAL MODELING
How to begin economic capital modeling, overcoming objections, securing funding and resources and other topics will be discussed.
Facilitator:
Grover Edie
RT-6: THE NEW ASSOCIATES PERSPECTIVE: ADVANCING YOUR CAREER THROUGH THE CAS
This new Associates-only discussion centers on the decision to pursue a career as a property-casualty actuary.
Moderator:
Shelby Wolff
Facilitators:
Kimberly Guerriero; Elaine Brunner; Rebecca Reich
RT-7: STRATEGIES FOR UTILIZING CATEGORICAL DATA
Use of continuous data – premium, exposure, claim amounts – is well established in the actuarial field. However - outside of credibility techniques – categorical data as predictive information receives less attention. This roundtable will afford participants the opportunity to exchange ideas about the use of dimensionality reduction (clustering, CHAID and multiple correspondence analysis) and modeling methods which may be better equipped to handle categorical input (tree-based models and GAMs). Thoughts about what kinds of data are particularly well-suited to categorical modeling are also welcome.
Facilitator:
Brian Fannin
RT-8: THE ACADEMY - WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?
Former Chief Actuary for the State of Ohio and Past Academy President Mary D. Miller welcomes you to discuss the latest in public policy and professionalism activities at the Academy. Whether you are currently a member of the Academy or not, she will provide the inside the Academy view on how current public policy and professionalism work can help shape your profession and your career.
Facilitator:
Mary Miller