When Bob Conger, FCAS, MAAA, HonFIA, celebrated his 70th birthday in 2023, he set a goal of running his first marathon before the end of that year. Not only did he accomplish his goal, Conger used his platform to raise more than $8,000 for The Actuarial Foundation.
“I prepared to run the marathon, putting in 534 miles of training June through October,” Conger said. “My goal was 500 miles of training. I finished the Marine Corps Marathon on October 29, my first-ever marathon, without injury.”
His finish time was 3:53, an average pace of 8:54 minutes per mile. He crushed his goal of finishing in 4:20, which would have been a 9:55 minute pace.
“I’m extremely happy with that result, and I was thrilled to learn that I was the top finisher in the age 70-74 group out of 58 male finishers and 15 female finishers,” Conger said.
Out of the overall field of more than 30,000 runners, he finished 1,761. His time qualifies him for the 2025 Boston Marathon.
“Thanks to my training, the first 22 miles were pretty smooth and comfortable,” Conger said. “However, the last four miles were a struggle. All my supporters’ encouraging notes became a wonderful collective voice in my head that kept me putting one foot ahead of the other. I really appreciate their words of support.”
Joining his supporters’ voices was that of a young man named James, one of the Washington D.C. high school students Conger tutored in The Actuarial Foundation’s Math Motivators program.
“I remember the rainy Tuesday afternoon when he tackled an algebra concept that previously had eluded his grasp,” Conger said. “We started with an easy problem, and it clicked. Eagerly, and with growing confidence, he nailed several more problems of increasing difficulty. He turned to me with delight written all over his face, exclaiming ‘I can do this!’ and proceeded to plow his way through ever-more-difficult problems.”
“As I ground through miles 25 and 26 of the marathon, I repeated his mantra, ‘I can do this,’ taking another step with each word. With everyone’s support, Math Motivators can take the next step in helping students like James gain the math skills and confidence that they need to succeed in school and in life.”
Conger spent most of his career as a consultant with Willis Towers Watson and its predecessor organizations. His consulting practice covered a wide range of business issues facing property and casualty insurers, with a particular focus on workers’ compensation. Conger’s first actuarial position was with American Mutual Liability Insurance Group, with responsibilities focused on pricing and loss reserving all P&C lines. Subsequently, at the Massachusetts rating bureaus, he was responsible for all workers’ compensation and auto insurance ratemaking, research and statistical functions of the organization. Conger graduated from Amherst College in 1975, with majors in economics and mathematics.
Conger is also a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Since attaining his credentials, he has been a very active volunteer in the actuarial profession — including numerous committee, leadership and Board roles for the CAS, the American Academy of Actuaries, The Actuarial Foundation, the International Actuarial Association, ASTIN and two Regional Affiliates.
He served in leadership roles with the CAS from the mid-1980s until 2021 – one-third of the organization’s history. In 1991, during his tenure as VP-Administration, the first-ever CAS office was established.
“In authorizing this significant strategic shift and major investment, the Board recognized that numerous important CAS functions and roles would be best served by full-time staff members with professional expertise in essential areas of CAS activity,” Conger said. “As a direct result of this change — and our ability to hire a great team of talented and dedicated people — the scope, size and speed of ambitious CAS initiatives really accelerated.”
Conger is proud of the strides the organization has made in terms of improving diversity since he became an FCAS in 1979.
“It has been great to see diversity expanding along numerous dimensions over the years among CAS candidates, members and leaders,” Conger said. “I am proud of what the CAS has enabled and accomplished in this arena, but I also believe that the CAS journey must do more – both within our own ranks, as well as embracing initiatives that reach down into middle schools, high schools and colleges to strengthen math literacy among future actuaries and future non-actuaries.”
Conger is also pleased with the expansion the organization has undergone internationally since he became a member.
“Over the past two decades, most of my CAS volunteer work has been focused on supporting the development of the CAS and the actuarial profession more broadly in geographies where it is not well-established,” Conger said.
In his personal life, Conger and his wife Maggie have been married for 48 years. They live in Washington D.C. and on the coast of Maine. They share an interest in travel and food, and especially enjoy time with their two daughters, two sons-in-law and two granddaughters. Conger’s other interests include solving logic and math puzzles, reading and volunteering in the community. And running.
