The SOA in Mexico City

Recap of the Local and Global Issues Related to Mortality and Population Seminar

February/March 2019

Photograph: El Economista

Norma Alicia Rosas Rodriguez, president of the Comisión Nacional de Seguros y Finanza in Mexico. Rosas presented the keynote address at the Local and Global Issues Related to Mortality and Population Seminar and spoke about how she sees opportunities for growth in annuities and health coverages in the Mexican market.

The International Actuarial Association (IAA) Mortality Working Group (MWG) and Population Issues Working Group (PIWG) held the Local and Global Issues Related to Mortality and Population Seminar on Nov. 27, 2018, in Mexico City. The Society of Actuaries (SOA) sponsored the seminar, which featured several presentations on current market and research topics.

The seminar coordinator R. Dale Hall, FSA, CERA, CFA, MAAA, managing director of research at the SOA and member of the IAA MWG, welcomed attendees. Brian Ridsdale, chair of the IAA MWG, then delivered the opening remarks and highlighted the current work of the MWG and PIWG, noting the importance of researching and discussing mortality and population topics within the actuarial profession.

The opening keynote address was presented by Norma Alicia Rosas Rodriguez, president of the Comisión Nacional de Seguros y Finanzas in Mexico. Her talk, titled “Insurance Markets and Population Trends in Mexico,” highlighted the current state and ongoing development of the local insurance markets. Rosas covered the recent demographic and population trends in Mexico and said she sees opportunities for growth in annuities and health coverages in the Mexican market.

Jorge Campa, CEO, Latin America, for RGA Reinsurance Company in Mexico City, gave a presentation titled “Epidemiological Transition in Mexico and the Impact on the Insurance Industry.” Campa noted that Mexico has shown important changes in the epidemiology of diseases in recent times, combined with environmental, demographic, economic, social and cultural changes, and advances in health care.

Hernan Poblete Miranda, director of Latin America Research for LIMRA’s Secure Retirement Institute, gave a presentation on population, consumer and retirement trends in Latin America. He noted social system dependency ratios for many countries are increasing, with notable growth in recent years in countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Argentina and Ecuador.

Sam Gutterman, FSA, MAAA, CERA, FCA, FCAS, HONFIA, co–vice chair of the IAA PIWG, highlighted the importance of considering the effects of inequality in many actuarial practice areas during his presentation titled “Inequality and Actuarial Science.”

The seminar concluded with a presentation by Allen M. Klein, co–vice chair of the IAA MWG and principal and consulting actuary at Milliman. Klein’s presentation on the drivers of future mortality highlighted results from an upcoming research release from the IAA MWG with details across a variety of categories including aging, lifestyles, catastrophes, and medical and technological advances.