The International Actuarial Association (IAA) is pleased to announce that, at its meeting on 1 December 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico, the Council of the IAA approved the following individuals to serve as Officers of the IAA effective January 1, 2019.

President: Gábor Hanák (Hungary)
President-Elect: Tonya B. Manning (USA)
Immediate Past President: Masaaki Yoshimura (Japan)

All terms of office are for one year ending on December 31, 2019.

Mr. Hanák’s involvement in the work of the IAA started in 2011. He served as a member of the Actuarial Standards Committee (ASC) from 2011-2017, including serving on several ASC task forces and other IAA committees. He was elected as President-elect in 2017 and served as chair of Strategic Planning Subcommittee in 2018. He has also previously served as Chairman of the Hungarian Actuarial Society and the Actuarial Association of Europe.

Mr. Hanák offered these comments upon assuming the position of IAA President:

„I’d like to thank the IAA Council for approving me to become the President of the IAA in 2019; my wife, Ágnes, for permanently encouraging me; and my employer, KPMG, for their support to my volunteer activity within the IAA. It is a great honor and privilege to serve, lead and represent the IAA, which has a long history and has been contributing to the public interest around the world.

I’m the first IAA President from Central and Eastern Europe – a region that started or re-started the development of its actuarial communities after the changes that took place as a consequence of the collapse of the Soviet bloc in the early 1990s. Practically in each country in that region a new or renewed actuarial association was established in the first half of the 1990s and soon most of them became full members of the IAA contributing to the further globalization of the actuarial profession.

In 2018, the IAA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its restructuring from an association of individual actuaries to an association of actuarial associations; we celebrated the admittance of our 100th member association last December. The IAA has changed very significantly over the past 20 years; its full member associations (FMAs) have become more professional than they were 20 years ago striving for professional excellence contributing to the well-being of society. Our key stakeholders recognize the value the IAA adds to their operations.

The IAA is in a period of transition in many aspects. We are facing immense challenges that the founding members of the IAA probably did not envisage. Nevertheless, the past two decades of successful operation has proven that the foundation is solid and appropriate.

So, building on our strong foundation, it is important and timely to finalize the review of our high level Strategy including our new Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives. Our new Strategic Objectives will focus on three pivotal ideas: Supranational Relationships; Promotion of the Profession; and Development of Competence. At the same time, we will review a number of aspects of our operation in order to better adapt to the current and future challenges our global profession is exposed to. We need to combine the features a modern and forward looking global profession needs to possess and the unique nature of the actuarial thinking, approaches and skills.

Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge Masaaki Yoshimura, our knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated 2018 IAA President who has successfully tackled many important issues which are vital to the further development of the IAA. Hence I am taking over the baton from very good hands and am determined to carry it firmly and successfully and to hand it over to my successor in 2020. There are a number of great challenges ahead of us during 2019 and I will serve and lead the IAA by considering the guidance provided by our FMAs and Sections and work together with my fellow Officers, the IAA Executive Committee and Secretariat staff.”

To learn more about the work of the IAA, please contact the Secretariat.