Stacy O’Connell

As automation and artificial intelligence transform the industry, soft – or “human” – skills are differentiating the good from the great actuaries. Emotional intelligence, innovative problem-solving, negotiation, leadership and communication are just a few of the skills essential for today’s actuarial professionals. Individuals who possess these characteristics are better able to translate data, leverage new technologies and motivate their teams. This session will discuss the human skills relevant at each career stage, as well as how actuaries can develop new skills and refine existing ones for ongoing career success.

Learning Objectives

• Emerging Trends: Understand how the insurance industry’s landscape is changing and the impact on actuarial talent.
• Deep Dive into Human Skills: Learn what constitutes a soft or “human” skill and explore their role in career success.
• Strategic Development: Uncover best practices and strategies for ongoing improvement and refinement of soft skills.

Stacy O’Connell is an Engagement Manager for The Jacobson Group’s executive search team, strategically engaging and assessing C-level, Vice President and other executive-level candidates for clients from all sectors of the insurance industry.

Stacy brings nearly 15 years of talent delivery experience to her role. She gained insurance-specific recruiting experience during her previous five-year tenure at Jacobson. After four years in our executive search practice, Stacy transitioned into a specialized role, focusing on actuarial consultants. Stacy then spent 10 years moving up the ranks at a generalist human capital consulting firm before returning to Jacobson in her current role.

Stacy attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., where she received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and criminal justice with a minor in business. She later received her Master of Arts in forensic psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.