The following served as the Address to New Members at the 2025 Spring Meeting in Toronto, Canada.
Good morning. Welcome to Toronto. Bienvenu a Toronto. And an especially warm welcome to all new Fellows, new Associates, and their families.
For many of you, I also welcome you to Canada — the second largest country in the world spanning six time zones.
You have arrived in Toronto at an auspicious occasion. Every year at this time the city gets wound up in its annual hysteria of playoff hockey. Once again, the Maple Leafs are in contention to win the Stanley Cup, having won their division but finishing second to Washington in their conference. If you believe the local press, this is Toronto’s year! Though if history is any guide, the Maple Leafs will not have a completely successful playoff run. They last won the Stanley Cup in 1967; 58 years of heartache which we perpetually forget each year as the playoffs begin. Perhaps some of you can relate after receiving a five or less on an exam.
It is also a time of tension between Canada and the U.S. caused by Trump tariffs — either actual or proposed. But this is a tension between countries, not between people.
I sat in your place some 43 years ago and listened to then penultimate CAS Past President, Steve Newman, give his presidential address. Of course, I was wearing a suit and tie, as were virtually all the new Fellows. It was 1982 after all, and dress codes were much more straight-laced.
There were only 12 new Fellows and 52 new Associates in my graduating class of November 1982. Today we welcome 85 new Fellows and 238 new Associates.
CAS membership was 97 when we were founded in 1914. By 1993 membership exceeded 2,000; by 2003 membership was almost 4,000; and in 2023 it surpassed 10,000.
Today we have over 11,000 members, with 9,000 (or 80%) residing in the U.S. and 1,400 (or 13%) living in Canada. What a change! When I became a Fellow in 1982 there were fewer than 10 casualty actuaries practicing in Canada.
Today we are celebrating our newest members who have reached significant milestones in their lives.
For our new Associates, this is not just a step in your career. It is a major professional achievement. You have proven you have deep technical knowledge. Moreover, you have shown perseverance and resilience to reach this stage.
For our new Fellows, your designation is the culmination of years of hard work and a real commitment to the actuarial profession.
I want to acknowledge all the effort and dedication that not only you but, perhaps as importantly, your families have made to reach these milestones. I know in my own FCAS journey, I was delayed by the surprise appearance of twins. After a year of failures on my last exam, my wife and I agreed on an allocation of childcare duties that finally allowed me to pass and become an FCAS. I certainly would not have made it without her support and assistance.
Now that you have reached a milestone, I urge you new Associates who still have the energy and commitment to persevere toward Fellowship. For new Fellows and some Associates, this stage of your career is finishing. You will have huge gaps in your personal, professional, and family lives as you are freed from studying. Don’t waste this newfound free time. Be curious. Continue to grow. Expand your knowledge. Increase your interaction with your family, friends, and community. Perhaps even give back to the actuarial community by volunteering with the CAS or mentoring those still studying for exams. After my Fellowship, I chose to begin a lifelong commitment to volunteering — for the CAS, for the actuarial profession at large, and within my local community. Volunteering was tremendously fulfilling, and I received much more from it than I ever expended.
In conclusion, enjoy these next few days of celebration and then look out for opportunities to grow and give back.
Jim Christie, FCAS, is a retired actuary, CAS Past President, and CIA Past President.
