Mr. Ahmed Shaher, FSA, MAAA, is enthusiastic about volunteering his time and offering his significant insurance expertise to benefit the Preferra Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, its policyholders, and its programs. With more than 35 years of experience working in insurance and as an Actuary for Fortune 500 and major insurance companies, Symetra Life Insurance Company, American International Group (AIG), The Hartford Life Insurance Company, United Healthcare Corporation, Metrahealth Corporation, Travelers Insurance Corporation, and Cigna Corporation, Mr. Shaher offers significant experience and understanding to overseeing the complex insurance, financial, and regulatory matters of a strong and growing Preferra Insurance Company Risk Retention Group.
Mr. Shaher currently resides in South Windsor, CT, where he actively volunteers in his community, serving on the Tunxis Community College Foundation Board of Directors to raise funds for student academic and needs scholarships; Connecticut Special Olympics volunteer fundraising efforts; and the Lions Club of South Windsor focused on serving the community, meeting humanitarian needs, encouraging peace and promoting international understanding. In addition to work and volunteering, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, bicycling, golf, family, sports, dogs, and travel.
At Guardian Life Insurance Company, Mr. Shaher is the Head of Group Pricing, overseeing the pricing for Dental, Life, Disability, and Supplemental Health insurance products. He leads a $5 billion book of business and manages an extended team of 35. His team is responsible for setting pricing policies, assisting in product development, consulting with the financial underwriters, and filing the company’s pricing.
At Symetra Life Insurance Company, Mr. Shaher was Vice President and Senior Actuary, Life, Disability, and Select Benefits / Benefits Divisions. He was responsible for the pricing and financial support for a $400 million in Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability, and Supplemental Health business and for developing and maintaining pricing models, sales, expense, and profit and loss planning.
At American International Group (AIG), Mr. Shaher worked extensively in association affinity group insurance program management and pricing, serving as Senior Vice President, Actuary, and Head of U.S. Group Life Product and Design; as Vice President and Actuary of Affinity Products (Market Segment); and as Vice President and Actuary of Affinity Markets. In these roles, his responsibilities included product management, product development, financial underwriting, pricing, and oversight for the more than $300 million in Employer, Affinity, and Worksite segment business; managing the Association Group Affinity Segment pricing, which included managing a team with complete actuarial oversight of a large variety of group, life, health, and disability insurance programs. Among his many accomplishments, he authored successful growth strategies and implemented process efficiencies and customized processes, pricing, and products in response to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
At The Hartford Insurance Company, Mr. Shaher served as Assistant Vice President and Actuary of Life / Retiree Health / Retention Pricing within the Group Employer Markets, as Interim Leader / Assistant Vice President of Group Reinsurance Plus Operation, as Assistant Vice President and Chief Actuary of Group Specialty Markets; as Director of Actuarial and Underwriting of Group Association/Affinity; and as and Director of Actuarial of Group Employer Markets, Disability Pricing. In these roles, Mr. Shaher worked extensively with association affinity insurance programs. He managed and completed actuarial oversight of various group life, health, and disability insurance programs, representing hundreds of millions to $2 billion in premiums. While in his reinsurance role, he oversaw sales, account management, financial reporting, underwriting, actuarial analysis, claims, and compliance with reporting relationships for the reinsurance operations unit, assuming the risk for the group insurance programs. He also championed vital initiatives to ensure sound, viable insurance programs and improve profitability, including work on pricing and underwriting improvements. He received Hartford’s President’s Award for the financial turnaround of the business unit. He created pricing for several new products, including Group Critical Illness, Group Ten Year Level Term Life, Hospital Short Term Recovery, and Senior Term Life.
At United Healthcare Corporation, Metrahealth Corporation, and Travelers Insurance Corporation, Mr. Shaher served as an Actuary for the Delivery Systems Management team overseeing the national health plans and as Senior Actuarial Assistant within Managed Care Network Analysis and Support, where his actuarial efforts resulted in significant enhancements in methodologies and financial achievements including savings of over $1 million in two years.
At Cigna Corporation, Mr. Shaher served as Actuarial Assistant, Group Financial for the Group Indemnity Operation, Actuarial Assistant for CIGNA Reinsurance, and Actuarial Analyst, Individual Financial, focused on individual life and health operations.
Mr. Shaher holds a Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries and professional memberships in the Society of Actuaries, American Academy of Actuaries, and Professional Insurance Marketing Association.
Mr. Shaher received his B.S. in Applied Mathematics (Operations Research Track) with a double major in Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University.