Most people consider retirement as sailing into the sunset, leaving any trace of their profession back at their desks. Leonardo B. J. Tan or “Leo” or “Mr. Tan” to those know him is not most people. Like a true scholar to his core, Leo, one of the pillars of the actuarial society, has never tired of learning and of imparting what he has learned long after he has retired.
Leo graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, cum laude, with a Mathematics Medal from the School of Engineering from De La Salle College. In the same year, he passed the Chemical Engineering Board Examination. In 1962, he was sent by Philamlife to the Graduate Actuarial Mathematics Program at the University of Michigan which he completed in 1963 with a Master of Science in Actuarial Mathematics from their Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. He then attended select courses in Insurance, Finance, Marketing, Economics and Operations Research from 1963 to 1964 at the same university. Through these years, he continually passed the preliminary exams becoming an Associate of the Society of Actuaries in 1968. He earlier became a member of the then Philippine Actuarial Society in 1965. In 1969, he qualified as a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He would later serve as President of the Actuarial Society of the Philippines from 1989 to 1990.
Leo was also active in presenting papers to the actuarial society on various areas such as the mortgage redemption insurance formulations in 1967 and the interest rate cost requirement of insurance operation in 1977.
He joined the workforce as a chemistry laboratory instructor at De La Salle College for one semester in 1960. He then later joined Philamlife as an actuarial trainee the same year. He was sent by Philamlife in 1964 to C. V. Starr & Co. in New York City. In 1965, he returned to the Office of the Actuary of Philamlife. In 1971, he joined MERALCO’s then Corporate Systems and Operations Research group. Leo would later be assigned as Insurance Director of MERALCO. He then joined Insular Life in 1974 to head its Planning Staff. He was then transferred to the Corporate Planning group of Ayala Corporation in 1975. He would then become involved as a consultant in the development and organization of PagIBIG Fund. He later joined Pioneer Life Assurance Corporation in 1979. In 2000, he retired from then Pioneer Allianz Life Assurance Corporation.
His retirement would constitute assisting the Securities and Exchange Commission for Pre-Need until 2007. From 2007 to 2015, he assisted the Insurance Commission as an actuarial consultant. Leo also continued to contribute to the society by participating actively and passionately in various discussions, applying his outstanding intellectual prowess continuously. He would also appear to the younger folks’s Associate Admission Course, further continuing their actuarial education with his pointed questions and sharp insights.
Leo’s scholarly work ethic and attitude have made him one of the pillars of the actuarial society and also a significant contributor to other government institutions. He truly never tired of learning, pre- or post-retirement.
SDModina
