By Daniel Johnson

The mathematics department at my college regularly listed actuarial jobs as among the best jobs for money, stability and work-life balance and that sounded good to me.

I was drawn by the prospect of a good opportunity that allowed me to combine mathematics, problem solving, and business skills.

When I joined Cheiron as a young actuary in March 2005, I had no idea I’d still be here in. I’d been working at a consulting firm in the Washington metropolitan area, but after two years, my wife and I wanted to return to North Carolina. Cheiron offered me an opportunity to work in its new Charlotte, NC, office.

In the interview, I was impressed by the P-Scan and H-Scan models that the consultants showed me, which were more interesting than anything I had worked on previously. I was also excited to learn that I’d be able to work on either the pension or health track and on different types of clients and plans.

After more than 20 years at Cheiron, I still consider myself lucky. Most people don’t have the luxury of the stability, freedom, and interesting work that I have.

Cheiron has exposed me to a variety of projects in different actuarial disciplines. On any given day, I may set up a model for a pension plan forecast, value the impact of changes to a health benefits program, and ensure clarity and accuracy in client communication.

I’m constantly learning.

With each year and each client, I learn something new. I get to work with talented consultants who are always available and push me to take on more responsibility.

While I enjoy helping our clients with difficult decisions, what I find most satisfying is seeing younger co-workers grow. It’s rewarding to help them understand actuarial concepts, learn to use our tools, and figure out how they add value to our clients.