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When globally renowned actuary John Robinson was just seven years old, he was asked to lead a group activity for his school’s cub scouts.

While it may be a trivial moment to some, Robinson credits it as his first leadership experience which ignited a passion for leadership. Several decades later, Robinson reflected on that moment as he was elected by members of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) to serve as the society’s 74th president and chair.

With a focus on promoting actuarial education and research, the SOA has over 32,000 members, making it the world’s largest actuarial organisation. Robinson’s presidency was also historic because he was the first person of colour to lead the organisation.

During a seminar at the UWI St Augustine campus on November 28, Robinson spoke about his goal of raising awareness for the profession and opening doors for others like him.

Robinson shared, “Coming into 2021, my plan was to retire, and I wanted to return to the Caribbean to teach A-Level Mathematics.”

But, 2021 was a powerful year.

“It was the year after George Floyd’s death, and I live in Minnesota. His murder occurred less than 20 miles from my home. I nominated myself for President of the SOA, because if it was any year my candidacy was important, it was 2021.” As president, Robinson chaired the SOA Board and Leadership Team, and travelled the world as an ambassador of the SOA to help elevate its profile and build wider networks.

Born in England and raised in Jamaica, Robinson graduated from the UWI Mona Campus in 1976 with a special degree in Mathematics.

After a brief three-year stint teaching Mathematics at Excelsior High School in Kingston and deCarteret College in Mandeville, he decided to do a Masters in Statistics at the University of Delaware, and later went on to complete a second Masters in Statistics at Florida State University.

He recalled, “I knew being an actuary was going to be a worthwhile career. It was the idea of a challenge that I wanted to take on, and I knew that, if I met the challenge, there was a significant chance of having a good, secure job, with a good income.”

While he became an SOA associate in 1984, it took Robinson ten years to complete the rigorous exams to become a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. However, he has no regrets about the time it took as he reflected on his ultimate leadership roles in the SOA. These also included a tenure on the association’s board of directors before his presidency.

Robinson also credits his work experience as an important part of his development as an actuary and subsequent leadership of the SOA.

His résumé includes stints with the Jamaica-based company R Watsons and Sons; and the US-based companies Nationwide Financial, F&G Life, Loyal American Life Insurance Company, and Hartford Life Insurance Company; and Capital Region BOCES. In his last job prior to retirement, he served as a life insurance regulator for the State of Minnesota.

Today, Robinson is a retiree, but he volunteers and still does consultancy work. He continues to serve as immediate past president of the SOA until October 2024, and is focused on inspiring the next generation of actuaries.

“People who do actuarial science degrees do get a skillset which is valuable in fields other than insurance and pensions, the traditional domains of actuaries,” he said. “I would encourage students to continue to excel in their actuarial programme because it will bring them rewards.”

A past president of the International Association of Black Actuaries, he also wants to continue opening doors for black actuaries around the world.

He explained: “One of the things that you will find in all of the actuarial organisations that I know is they have embraced the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion. Therefore, they do want to have diversity in their memberships, and they seek to ensure that everyone in our profession feels welcome.”