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©Towers Perrin
This document is incomplete without the accompanying discussion; it is confidential and intended solely for the information and benefit of the immediate recipient hereof.
Canadian Institute of Actuaries
The Morris Review- and why it is so Relevant for Canadian Actuaries
November 17, 2004
Mike LombardiMontreal
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Approach
Personal perspectives based on My year as CIA president, including
Council of Presidents
Presidents’ Forum
IAA meetings
Special guest at SOA Board meetings
Meetings with Canadian regulators, employers, students, universities, and insurance industry representatives
Lessons learned about the actuarial profession Observations documented in CIA bulletin (“President’s Corner”)
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Lessons learned
Global profession Increasingly international Can achieve a lot through joint efforts on similar issues
Global standards Insurance and pension accounting standards are converging worldwide If we don’t get involved and help make history we may become history
Mutual recognition Removes barriers to professional mobility No need to start over and rewrite local actuarial exams
Public policy We should not be shy about speaking out on social issues
Health care
Automobile insurance
Pensions especially Especially where our expertise is particularly relevant
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Lessons learned (cont’d)
Role model CIA is one of the largest, most respected actuarial organizations in the world. Our professional unity is envied Our creative developments are admired
Consolidated standards
Peer review
Insurance financial reporting (CALM)
Capital management (CTE)
Responsiveness Need to reassure our publics that their trust in us is well founded Issues related to public confidence in our profession
Corporate governance
Independence
Professional standards
Continuing education and discipline
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Lessons learned (cont’d)
The image of actuaries We need to improve
Our communication skills
Our business acumen
Our eagerness to do new things
Our willingness to take personal career risks. Employers promote actuaries who are more like Captain Kirk and less like Mr.
Spock.
Thinking outside the box Our effectiveness will be enhanced by creative thinking and bold initiatives Need to
Step outside our comfort zone
Broaden our thinking
Challenge the status quo “Change is not only inevitable but it is necessary to achieve ongoing success”.
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December 2003 Bulletin “Towards a Global Actuarial Profession”
“International issues matter greatly and will increasingly affect our future. Over the next few years, a tidal wave of international business, regulatory, and professional developments will sweep away the familiar insurance and pension world as we know it today.”
“To retain our position of influence and relevance – not to mention our jobs – it is imperative that we adapt and prepare for these coming changes.”
Key international developments IAA leadership and professionalism International actuarial standards Solvency II: “Total balance sheet approach” Education 2005: towards a single curriculum worldwide Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) NAFTA: actuary officially recognized as a profession
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Charles H. Duell, director of the US patent office, said in 1899, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”
IBM chief Watson declared in 1953 “There is no real market for computers because only five computers will
be needed by the whole world.”
Thinking outside the box requires different attributes A willingness to apply new perspectives to day-to-day work Openness to do different things Openness to do things differently Valuing new ideas and Acting on them
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Selected topics Non-actuarial representation General acceptance Actuarial independence - insurance Actuarial independence - pension
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Non-actuarial representation
The public interest is our guiding principle
The ability of professions to regulate themselves is being questioned
Trust must be demonstrated—it can be destroyed in the blink of an eye.
Questions: How well do we deal with conflicts of interest? Do our practice committees view issues too narrowly? Are members or chairpersons on our practice committees unduly
influenced by their corporate roles? Can we properly identify and control real or perceived conflicts of
interest? Should we welcome or resist representation from the broader public?
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Non-actuarial representation
Public representation may sound foreign or threatening…. BUT…
It is becoming a reality in other jurisdictions -- driven in large part by a need to preserve trust in the profession In the US, the Actuarial Standards Board In Australia, actuarial standards board members are actuaries appointed
by government rather than the profession In the UK, non-actuarial representatives account for almost 40% of
voting members in key standards-setting councils In South Africa, Actuarial Governance Board consisting mainly of non-
actuaries to represent external stakeholders
The real question is not “What percentage is comfortable?”
The real question is “How best to balance a desire to control our own standards vs. the need to more visibly respond to the public interest.”
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
General acceptance
One of the existing criteria to be satisfied before establishing a new standard
If not generally accepted, adoption will not take place
Leads to prolonged and healthy actuarial debate
Examples: Peer review CSOP
Many feel the final product was much better than the original proposals
Others, however, feel this criterion Ties our hands unnecessarily May prevent emergence of a timely standard when it is needed May ultimately conflict with our duty to the public interest
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
General acceptance
The CIA is almost unique
The majority of actuarial and accounting bodies worldwide do react to feedback
BUT, if a new standard is necessary the time for discussion has ended
Questions ”Is continuation of the status quo acceptable?” “What are our responsibilities to the public?” “How is general acceptance perceived?”
the standards-setting group will establish a standard, with orwithout general acceptance
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Actuarial independence - insurance
What is the actuary’s role with respect to the soundness of insurance companies?
Independence concerns Should actuarial services be provided to an insurer that is an audit client Can the objectivity of the appointed actuary be met if he/she is an
employee of the insurer
Most of the attention so far has been auditor independence but beginning to shift to the independence of the appointed actuary.
In UK, Financial Services Authority regulator questioned, subsequently removed, auditor’s reliance on appointed actuary
In Holland, insurance regulator is seeking changes aimed at demonstrating independence of the actuary
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Actuarial Independence - insurance
In Canada Peer review But “are we are doing enough to address the independence issue?.
For example Three years to do peer review not same as annual accounting audit AA calculations not verified by anyone
Suppose a company fails and this is aggravated by a reserve calculation error. Questions: Can CIA avoid criticism by indicating that verification was outside the
scope of the peer review? Can auditors avoid criticism by indicating they relied on the actuary and
the peer review process? Is it possible that no one is accountable? Will these “no-fault” excuses be tolerated by the public and by
regulators?
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January - February 2004 Bulletin “Thinking outside the box”
Actuarial independence - pension
Whose interests does the pension actuary represent? Plan sponsor or Plan members
Can actuary truly represent both?
For example, assume the plan sponsor asks for Less conservative assumptions And takes a contribution holiday
Questions: How to avoid a real or perceived conflict of interest? How to preserve pension plan members’ confidence? Independent actuary for plan members? Peer review? Greater disclosure of instructions, assumptions, and reasons?
“While these measures seem intrusive, now is the time for the CIA to be looking into the issue rather than when a crisis is upon us”.
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March 2004 Bulletin “Responding to external perceptions”
Discussed Penrose report and implications for the profession
“A profession dedicated to serving the public interest needs to pay attention to how it is perceived.”
“Increasingly, this means not only how we are perceived locally but also how the profession is faring internationally”
Early response by UK profession An actuarial standards board containing a majority of independent members Practice certificates to cover ALL actuaries who give actuarial advice Peer review for appointed actuaries and pension actuaries A disciplinary board with a third of its membership being from outside the
actuarial profession.
Pending Morris review, UK profession has appointed a Scrutiny Committee to review existing standards.
6 members 2 of whom are non-actuaries , 4 are actuaries from various practices
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March 2004 Bulletin “Responding to external perceptions”
Actuarial Standards Board
Typical Canadian actuarial reaction Ridiculous! Are not actuaries, by definition, the most qualified individuals to
establish actuarial standards? Why voluntarily cede the ability to run our own show?
The answer: guiding principle #1
In a post-Enron environment, there is growing pressure to ensure that standard setting bodies adequately represent all aspects of the public interest
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March 2004 Bulletin “Responding to external perceptions”
Actuarial Standards Board
Why any concern? The people who set standards are largely the same people subject to
those standards Awkward questions which might adversely affect employment or
consulting relationships are avoided We have been slow at highlighting and debating areas of potential
difficulty We have been reluctant to pursue controversial proposals
Past examples Peer review Transfer values
“While the standards-setting process can get quite messy, we need more, not less, openness and transparency”.
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March 2004 Bulletin “Responding to external perceptions”
Practice certificates
In the UK, practicing certificates needed for Appointed actuaries of life companies Pension actuaries Lloyd’s syndicate actuaries
Consideration is being given to extending the concept to cover all actuaries who give advice on actuarial matters.
Within the CIA We have not been keen on hyphenated actuaries We expect that actuaries will only take on such work for which they are
suitably qualified Voluntary continuing professional development requirements
Imagine if same CIA approach were applied to doctors: Self-assessment of competence Honour system for keeping up to date
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March 2004 Bulletin “Responding to external perceptions”
Practice certificates
Results of actuarial malpractice may not be as severe as medical malpractice, But the work we do affects the financial health and future security of
millions.
CIA should not automatically follow the UK initiatives But ignoring international developments leaves us less prepared for
similar challenges at home Dismissive comments that the situation is different in Canada will not be
satisfactory
Need to Describe how we are dealing with similar concerns Explain how our circumstances are different Provide insight about the relevance of any differences Describe how these different circumstances lead to a different solution
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March 2004 Bulletin “Responding to external perceptions”
“The public policy issues of openness, transparency, and accountability transcend national borders. It would be naïve or arrogant to assume that these issues are not important to the Canadian public.”