April,2016 - March,2019
Greetings from the new President
Hideyuki SumiPresident
The Institute of Actuaries of Japan
By a resolution of the Board of Directors at their meeting this March 23, I was appointed president of IAJ, effective April 1. Upon taking this office, I would like to offer a few words of greeting to the members of IAJ.
First, I would like to say that former President Mr. Asano, during his term of office, and in accordance with IAJ’s newly minted slogan, “Think the Future, Manage the Risk,” greatly contributed to increasing the presence of IAJ members both in Japan and overseas, to preparing and smoothly implementing the new continuing professional development scheme, and to accelerating the development of IAJ and increasing the brand power of us actuaries further; and I would like to take this opportunity to formally express my gratitude to him for those achievements. Moreover, with his appointment as Chairman, former President Mr. Asano will, as head of the ICA 2026 Organizing Committee, promote activities to bring the 2026 International Congress of Actuaries to Japan; and he will also continue to lead IAJ in general.
In recent years, amidst the advance of globalization, the demographic changes in Japan resulting from a low birth rate and an aging society, and the other changes in the country’s social and economic conditions, the needs for and business models of the insurance and pension industry continued ceaselessly to evolve and diversify. At the same time, efforts were made to improve and refine ERM system, and progress was achieved in deliberations related to the international economic value-based solvency regime and accounting standards. Given these developments, I believe that the actuary’s role will expand more and more, and that advanced professionalism has come to be demanded of us.
Until now, IAJ has built up the knowledge of actuaries through various activities, including diverse research and meaningful proposals. However, I believe that it is important for us to develop the knowledge so as to make it more flexible and beneficial in response to recent changes in the environment. Towards that end, I will work to further expand and strengthen both the activities of IAJ committees and others that support those efforts, and the new continuing professional development scheme and other examination and educational systems.
In order to continue to fulfill the expanding role of actuaries in the future, it is important to continue to invigorate IAJ’s overall activities. In particular, I want IAJ to promote such activities as the providing of places and opportunities for cultivating the next generation and training young actuaries.
In closing, I pledge that I will do my utmost to further promote the development of IAJ and actuarial science and to further increase the presence of actuaries, for which I ask that you please lend me your valued support and cooperation.