Ezra Penland Partners, Jennifer Retford and Sally Ezra attended the 2025 CAS Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas from November 9-12. The event brought together approximately 1,200 actuaries from across the property and casualty field, providing opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and make new professional connections.
Keep reading for some highlights from our time at the meeting.
Networking and Connections
The Annual Meeting offered excellent opportunities to connect with both familiar faces and new colleagues across the actuarial community. We caught up with actuaries we’ve known for years while also making new connections across the industry.
The networking events provided good venues for substantive conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing our profession.
Featured Speaker: Peter Leyden on AI and the Future
The meeting featured Peter Leyden as the keynote speaker, a technology expert and thought leader specializing in artificial intelligence and transformative technologies. His insights on AI’s implications for the insurance industry were relevant to the work we do every day.
The meeting offered over 40 sessions led by 60 industry experts, covering nine distinct topic areas ranging from pricing and reserving to emerging technological challenges.
Beyond the Sessions
On the second day of the meeting, a couple of actuaries brought in barbecue for lunch, which everyone enjoyed. Later in the week, several of us went to a local karaoke bar where one woman’s incredible singing voice was the highlight of the evening. You never know what hidden talents your colleagues have!
Exploring Austin
Austin proved to be a good host city for the meeting. The Fairmont Austin Hotel provided an excellent venue, and the city’s culture and energy created a fitting backdrop for professional development. The Annual Meeting’s theme, “What Starts Here,” captured Austin’s innovative spirit.
The city’s thriving food scene and creative atmosphere made it easy to enjoy the time between sessions.
Looking Forward
The connections we made and the conversations we had reminded us why these industry gatherings are valuable. The CAS Annual Meeting continues to be a premier event for P&C actuaries, offering a combination of technical content, professional networking, and opportunities to engage with developments in the field.
As our last CAS meeting for 2025, this was a great way to close out the year. We’re already looking forward to what’s in store for 2026 and continuing to build on the relationships we’ve formed while staying current with the latest developments in casualty actuarial science.
If you have questions about any of the topics discussed at the Annual Meeting or want to discuss how these industry trends might apply to your organization, don’t hesitate to contact our team.