Marie-Claude Poulin, FCIA, FSA
Consultant
Industrielle Alliance Assurance et Services Fina

Marie-Claude Poulin likes a good challenge. In fact, it was the challenge of the professional exams that initially attracted her to the actuarial profession. Eighteen years later, Marie-Claude continues to pursue impressive and challenging projects in various actuarial capacities.

Marie-Claude started her career at Standard Life Insurance Company in 1991 as an actuarial analyst in the pension sector. In the following years, she occupied other actuarial positions in the product development group and the corporate actuarial team. In 2000, she moved to the corporate actuarial department of Industrial Alliance, where she implemented the Canadian Asset Liability Method (CALM). Since December 2000, CALM has been the prescribed valuation method for all lines of business of life insurers under Canadian regulation. After two years with Industrial Alliance, Marie-Claude began monitoring insurance companies registered under the Quebec Provincial Act before she was in charge of certifying the insurance contributions for the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.

In 2008, Marie-Claude returned to Industrial Alliance and took on a marketing role, which she still holds. In this capacity, she works closely with the actuarial team to use pricing models and the market as a guide in developing new insurance products that she says are both "attractive for the clients and profitable for the company."

Marie-Claude graduated with an actuarial degree from Laval University. During her studies, actuarial mathematics under Professor André Prémont was her favorite course. "I was discovering a new type of applied mathematics, it was complex and interesting, a real challenge," recollects Marie-Claude.

A fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries since 2000, Marie-Claude understands what it takes to obtain actuarial credentials. She encourages aspiring actuaries to devote themselves to their professional future by taking their exams seriously. "Do not waste your time half studying," she advises.

Marie-Claude sees new challenges to be tackled by the profession in the years to come, saying "I think we will see more and more actuaries in non-traditional fields. Actuaries will continue to go beyond insurance and pension areas." As always, it’s a challenge she welcomes.