Most undergrads switch majors at least once in college, and I was no exception.
I started out majoring in biology but switched to mathematics because it offered better job prospects. Some classmates planned on becoming actuaries and that piqued my interest. My college, Drexel University, did not offer an actuarial program, so I knew very little about it but what I learned was that it involved applied mathematics, statistics, and finance, and I found that compelling.
In 2009, three years after I began working at a large consulting firm, I joined Cheiron in its Philadelphia office. The industry was still reeling from the turmoil caused by the global financial crisis and my employer was starting to lay off employees.
At the same time, Cheiron was hiring. Three of my colleagues had earlier joined the firm and were happy with the move. That spoke volumes to me.
I don’t think I would’ve found Cheiron otherwise.
In 2013, my husband and I moved to Buffalo, N.Y., to be closer to family, and I was relieved that Cheiron gave me the flexibility to work from home.
That worked well until the pandemic, when I felt isolated and wanted to interact with others. So, I switched to a local insurance brokerage in 2020 but discovered almost immediately that it was a bad fit. I returned to Cheiron in October 2022 after taking a year off for family reasons.
One of the nice things about working at Cheiron is that you can drive your own career. If you’re interested in doing something new, you have the opportunity to do it.
The firm’s collegial atmosphere is a big plus. We have a strong, collaborative team and my colleagues are approachable and easy to work with. It also helps that our teams are structured across the nation instead of being clustered in a single office, so I can reach teammates in different time zones to manage the unexpected.
But the most important thing is the firm’s emphasis on integrity I feel good about the work I do for clients because we always put them first and don’t have any conflicts of interest.
About Beth Mercer
Principal Consulting Actuary, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA
Beth is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and a Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Drexel University.