Meet the actuaries

Dominique Pilote

FCIA, FSA
Consultant
Morneau Sobeco

Dominique Pilote was first attracted to the actuarial profession by her love for mathematics and logic. It was a bonus that the profession offered solid career opportunities. Dominique has been working as a consultant at Morneau Sobeco since 2004, where she administers and consults on pension plans. In this role, she conducts actuarial valuations, accounting valuations and calculates costings for negotiations.

But, Dominique recognizes that technical knowledge alone is not sufficient, and she notes that it’s important that actuaries have strong communication skills in order to successfully present and explain their mathematical findings to clients and colleagues. “I find it extremely rewarding when I see the satisfaction of the clients, when they tell me that they are happy with the work I’ve done or glad that I helped them understand some complex matters in the retirement field,” said Dominique.

Dominique graduated from the Université Laval with a degree in actuarial science. As a student, she recalls enjoying "Mathématiques actuarielles vie II et III" under Professor Étienne Marceau. "They were the first courses in which we really saw of the theory we were learning applied in real life, especially by making special assignments," recalls Dominique.

While she enjoys almost everything about her actuarial career, Dominique especially thrives on the continuous challenge of her work. "There is always something new to do and we are always learning," she says. Her advice to young actuaries is to "read, know what is going on, try to learn as much as you can, not just in the actuarial field but in all related fields. You need to have a macroscopic vision."

When asked about the future of the actuarial profession, Dominique said, "I see a shift from traditional actuarial work to broader financial services."