We are pleased to announce the election of five new members to the CIA Board, effective July 1, 2023:
President-Elect
Conrad Ferguson, FCIA (acclaimed)
Directors
Sarah-Salimah Bhanji, FCIA
Caroline Blouin, FCIA
Isabelle Bouchard, FCIA
Tommy Yip, FCIA (acclaimed)
President-Elect
Conrad Ferguson will hold the position of President-Elect for one year, subsequently serve as President for a year and then fulfil the role of Immediate Past President for another year.
Throughout his more than 40-year career in the insurance and consulting industries, Conrad has honed his focus on pensions and workers’ compensation, with a particular focus on the development of sound funding policies. Most of his work as a consultant has been with bipartite or tripartite boards, giving him a broad perspective on a wide range of sometimes conflicting views. Conrad has also been lending his expertise as a volunteer to the CIA since the 1980s, serving on multiple volunteer groups, including the Actuarial Standards Board and the Committee on Workers’ Compensation.
As President-Elect, Conrad is particularly interested in addressing emerging challenges with thoughtful actuarial solutions, including issues with the environment and advancements in artificial intelligence and data analytics. He also stresses the importance of the actuarial profession being agile and adaptable, identifying emerging practice areas early and responding effectively to change. As President he will endeavour to build strong partnerships with other professionals and experts to further develop the actuarial skill set.
Directors
Elected for a three-year term, each Director brings with them a unique vision and breadth of knowledge.
Sarah-Salimah Bhanji
Sarah is the chief actuary and a member of the executive management team at Northbridge, a major Canadian property and casualty insurer. With almost 100 employees under her leadership, she has been actively involved in advancing the actuarial profession and community for more than 15 years and has served on various CIA committees. Through her years of experience and close involvement in several facets of the profession, Sarah believes that building strong professional development partnerships is crucial, particularly in how actuaries stay current and evolve.
Caroline Blouin
Caroline is a highly experienced actuary with more than 30 years of experience in the profession across Canada and the US. Known for being a transformational and strategic leader, developing high-performing teams and having boundless energy, Caroline believes that the CIA is uniquely positioned to contribute thought leadership to today’s global challenges, including climate, social, governance, an aging population and the lack of pension coverage for younger workers.
Isabelle Bouchard
With more than two decades of experience in group reinsurance, consulting and working with a medical association, Isabelle possesses a broad perspective on the group insurance market and the challenges facing CIA members. She understands that actuaries have a unique opportunity to contribute to social debates, particularly regarding pension plans and health care. As a member of the Board, Isabelle is committed to supporting new actuaries entering the profession and strengthening mentorship programs.
Tommy Yip
Tommy is joining the CIA Board in the reserved role for an FCIA who obtained their Fellowship within the past seven years.
Tommy is passionate about expanding the actuarial profession and promoting a more stimulating and rewarding career experience for actuaries. He believes that by leveraging the profession’s expertise in risk management, predictive analytics and risk measurement, actuaries can make a positive impact on society by assisting non-profit organizations in assessing their risk tolerance, constructing predictive models and communicating risk-mitigation strategies to stakeholders.
Facing the future with confidence
As the CIA and the actuarial profession continue to grow, the newly appointed Board members will play a crucial role in increasing public awareness of the profession and advancing the Institute’s goal of promoting financial security for Canadians.
“The world is in constant evolution and the pace of change is ever-increasing. Like all professional organizations responsible for serving the public interest, the CIA must respond appropriately to these challenges.
– Incoming President-Elect Conrad Ferguson, FCIA
In the end, our profession will only be as strong as we make it, collectively.”
