I am not your stereotypical Actuary! I enjoy working with clients to build solutions that work for them. I have done this when I was a Consulting Actuary working with DB Plan Sponsors to modify their retirement program to align with the goals. I have done this with DC Plan Sponsors to build out a stable value option that better meets the needs of their participants with non-standard investments. I was told many times in my career that the Actuarial area is where you go to get the answer “NO”. Because of this, I work with the business and with the sales and relationship management teams to create a solution that both WE and the CLIENT will be comfortable with. This mindset has served me well in my various roles pricing retirement products. We all know that there is room for negotiation in pricing and I am comfortable working with my teams to understand where pricing needs to be to win business. I am equally comfortable sharing what is needed for us to be able to meet that price. Given the sedentary work-life of an actuary…either sitting or standing in front of a computer and participating in meetings, I like to balance this by being active outside of work. I try to fit some physical activity into every day! In the colder months I enjoy skiing with my kids and going to the gym for a workout. I have also been in a bowling league for about 20 years (no, I have not bowled a 300 game…YET, but I have two games in the 270s). In the warmer months, I enjoy running (ok, more like jogging) and have completed more than 10 races, including three half-marathons. I also enjoy golf and pickleball year-round…assuming there is no snow on the ground!I have been asked many times “How did YOU become an Actuary?” At first, I took a bit of offense to the question…thinking that they might not think I was smart enough! But, I found out that it was because I was not the stereotypical actuary! They would put me in front of clients because they knew I could handle myself and that we would be able to have a very productive and insightful conversation. They knew that I would be open to what the client is looking for, but would also be able to share challenges that might come from the requests. Now, when someone asks “How did YOU become an Actuary?”, I take it as a compliment that they see me as more than just your stereotypical Actuary!