Overview

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the Annual Program Committee, I invite you to attend the SOA 08 Annual Meeting & Exhibit, October 19–22 in Orlando, FL. This year we've planned a meeting that offers diverse educational and networking opportunities.

We've once again used the actuarial value ladder, a professional development tool, to plan this meeting. The ladder helps actuaries plan and manage their careers, provides educational direction for members and assists in communicating the profession's value to employers. In the program, you'll see that each session is aligned to a specific stage on the value ladder. We hope this will assist you in selecting sessions that will help you move your professional development forward to achieve your career goals.

You won't want to miss our speakers this year. We have a terrific lineup including Billy Beane, who will be the keynote speaker at the general session. Beane, general manager of Major League Baseball's Oakland A's, the subject of the best-selling book, Moneyball. He combines a down-to-earth style, humorous anecdotes and concrete lessons for business success with content that will help you become a more effective manager and leader. Join Bean as he motivates you to improve your management and leadership skills, ultimately helping you achieve success.

When you're not participating in one of our more than 100 educational sessions, offering the latest research, insights and information, you'll definitely want to check out our numerous networking events to catch up with old contacts and make some new ones.

The 2008 Annual Meeting is a must-attend event! Join us for three days of high quality education and strategic networking.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you this fall in Orlando.

Peggy L. Hauser, FSA, MAAA
Chairperson, 2008 Annual Meeting Program Committee