Feedback from Participants – The Industry Partnership Program

I wanted to let you know that I thought this was a very valuable experience for our company and my team. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the work produced by the students. I think the amount of exchange that took place during their presentation was a testament to the quality of their work… I hope we can find a way to collaborate again in the future!

— Craig Shigeno, FSA, President and Chief Operating Officer, M Financial Re

Shortly after the completion of the 2014 projects, the students and M Financial actuaries who participated in the IPP evaluated the program. Overall the feedback was positive. For example, the M Financial actuaries who responded agreed or strongly agreed with these statements:

The end work product (results, final presentation, and paper) is of higher quality than I expect from a more typical internship project.
The end work product is valuable to M Financial Group.
I would consider participating in the IPP again.
I would encourage my colleagues at other companies to participate in the IPP.

Similarly, the students who responded agreed or strongly agreed with these statements:

Participating in the IPP was a VALUABLE experience.
Participating in the IPP was a POSITIVE experience.
The end work product (final presentation and paper) was of higher QUALITY than I think I would have produced in a more typical internship.

Sample Responses from Participants’ Surveys

What were the most valuable and positive aspects of the IPP?

Ability to integrate academic and industry specific practices to address questions related to Solvency and Credibility matters.
It was a learning process for everyone and not just the students.
It was great to have 2 face-to-face visits with Professor Moore. It helped tremendously to move the project forward.
Students were very independent and motivated to deliver the results
Watching the growth of the interns was fantastic. The project also afforded a great opportunity to hone teamwork abilities especially as the faculty advisers were not on-site.
Teamwork with colleagues, supervisors and Professor Moore.
Working collaboratively, learning new statistical models, working on a problem that’s current and relevant to the industry, being able to choose the direction of the project

Please give a candid evaluation of your students’ work performance, strengths, growth opportunities, etc.

The students took ownership of their projects and really drove them forward without heavy guidance.
Their strengths include a tenacious work ethic. We never seemed to have any issues keeping them on task or working diligently (this is often not the case with interns). Also, they demonstrated an eagerness to learn and pickup new skill sets as they progressed through their experience.
Overall, I think their ability to make such great strides in just a few short months is tremendous.

Please share any additional comments or suggestions.

Thank you! Overall, I’m really glad I took the internship. I think it was a more valuable experience than a typical internship or even starting a full-time position right after graduation. I enjoyed working at M and with the people I did.