WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME AN ACTUARY? AND WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE PROFESSION?
When I was growing up and into my high school years, it was very apparent that I gravitated towards numbers and analytics. I played baseball through college, and Moneyball was becoming mainstream at that point—what a dream combination: advanced analytics and baseball! I knew I was going to pursue some kind of career with mathematics and statistics. Actuarial science introduced a great blend of business acumen and communication, areas in which I thought I was inherently strong. I was very fortunate to get my start as an intern through a friendship my statistics professor at the University of Dayton had with the first actuary on staff at the Cleveland Clinic. That summer convinced me this was the career path for me.
DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOUR PROFESSIONALISM TRAINING HAS HEALPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER.
I’ve spent a considerable amount of my career working with machine-learning models, and over the past couple of years, large language models and Generative AI have become hot topics. We’re all eager to adopt and apply these new technologies, but part of our Professional Code of Conduct asks us to truly understand the underlying algorithms, data, and assumptions for these models. I find myself regularly reminding my team to take the time and apply the due diligence to study the technologies they’re eager to apply before going wild.
TELL US ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOUR ACTUARIAL EXPERTISE INFLUENCED AN IMPORTANT DECISION IN YOUR WORKPLACE.
First, a lot of people are still surprised when they hear about actuaries working on the provider side of health, but it’s becoming an increasingly common fit when health systems are committed to value-based contracting and value-based care. To support those programs, provider-side actuaries are often assessing various contract options to recommend selections which set the organization up for financial success and patients for high-quality health outcomes using quantitative methods. A few years ago, my team worked on the development of simulation modeling to help our organization make a critical decision on which pathway we would pursue within CMS’s [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] Shared Savings Program. Our recommendation has led to highly successful outcomes so far.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR CAREER?
Patience, prayer, and practice! These three words were the subject of a speech I heard years ago when starting my professional life and they’ve been great to reflect on whenever I get into a difficult time. They remind me to 1.) take the time to study and diagnose the issue or question at hand; 2.) reflect on my principles, values, and things that are most important to me; and 3.) continuously work on the things I do daily to get incrementally better.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU WISH WERE GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER?
Be eager to learn! The space we work in, particularly if you’re a healthcare actuary, is continuously evolving. The people I’ve seen become successful—and those colleagues I really respect—have been proactive in learning new concepts, methods, and techniques to apply to their everyday work.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST ABOUT YOUR ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP OR ACADEMY VOLUNTEER WORK?
It’s just an incredible community of very thoughtful, intelligent people. This past year, I started participating in the Health Equity Committee for the first time, and it’s been so enjoyable hearing the dialogue and ideas that have flowed from the group. I feel like I’ve learned so much that I can apply to my own job and contribute to a better health care environment.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ANYTHING ELSE WITH ASPIRING OR NEW ACTUARIES, OR THOSE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING FOR THE ACADEMY?
For aspiring or new actuaries or those interested in volunteering for the Academy, partnership, collaboration, and listening have immeasurable impacts. Reflecting on some of the most successful projects I’ve been a part of in my career, I can honestly say that they’ve had multidisciplinary teams that really functioned well together. You’ll benefit from being open-minded to new, different ideas and developing your style to make your case for or against approaches in a healthy, productive fashion.
BEYOND WORK—WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES OR OTHER PERSONAL INTERESTS?
With two kids under 4 years old, my free time is committed to them and my family. While my 3-year-old son is starting to learn to ice skate, my 1-year-old daughter is taking her first steps. They keep my wife and me busy, but when I do get some free time to myself, I’m a big sports fan. I like to play golf (a work in progress) and like watching all Cleveland sports (Browns, Cavaliers, and Guardians)—even though the painful losses are inevitable.
