The CIA President’s Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on actuarial practice in Canada. Recipients are selected by the CIA President for their passion and dedication to the profession, and for advancing the CIA’s vision of financial security for all Canadians.
For 2026, CIA President Angelita Graham has selected Michel St-Germain for this recognition.
A career grounded in rigour and practical judgment
Michel built a 40-year career in pension consulting, marked by strong technical experience and clear, practical advice. He has influenced pension plan sponsors, policy makers, regulators and pension practitioners in building a better Canadian retirement system. He has long held a simple view of influence in complex work: credibility and public interest come first.
That balance between rigour and action runs through both his professional life and his volunteer leadership. He describes his work as a blend of deep technical effort – including reading and interpreting complex legislation – and the equally demanding task of turning that knowledge into recommendations that enable others to act with confidence.
Work in the pension community
Michel is widely respected as a leading authority in pension practice and has remained focused on the long arc of pension policy in Canada. His work has helped shape how pension systems evolve, how plans are regulated and how Canadians are supported in retirement.
His impact extends beyond any single setting, spanning his consulting career, long-standing CIA service, and contributions through the Association of Canadian Pension Management.
A defining theme in this work is long-term thinking and the protection of the public. In pensions and in the broader actuarial field, decisions rarely focus on the next cycle; they shape outcomes decades into the future. Michel has underscored that distinction, noting that the work actuaries do can span the next 50 years – a perspective that makes actuarial advice unique and valuable to decision-makers.
Decades of CIA volunteer service
Michel’s volunteer record with the Institute is exceptional. Over 32 terms of service, he has contributed to a wide range of CIA groups and initiatives, with a focus on pension policy and regulations. Across these roles, he has consistently advocated for a more flexible, workable approach to pension plan regulation, with an emphasis on outcomes that support Canadians’ long-term financial security.
Policy reform is rarely quick or simple. Michel’s work is often described as persistent and sustained, reflecting the reality that meaningful change takes time. That persistence has helped influence progress, including developments related to the legitimization of target benefit plans.
He has also highlighted volunteer work he considers especially meaningful, including major public papers on retirement age and pharmacare, as well as work related to improvements to the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan. These projects reflect a consistent priority: improving how systems function for Canadians over the long term.
Leadership as CIA President during the pandemic era
Michel served as the Institute’s President in 2020-21, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. His presidency coincided with a period of extraordinary disruption, and he spoke publicly on leading the Institute through a global crisis.
During that time, he took pride in the Institute’s ability to continue supporting members as working norms shifted rapidly from office-based routines to virtual operations. He also highlighted areas of progress during his presidency, including work related to the qualification system and the profession’s readiness for IFRS 17.
At the same time, he has been clear about the nature of volunteer leadership. He has emphasized that outcomes are achieved through staff, councils, committee chairs and volunteers working together, and that the president’s role is often to support others and ensure the right tools, direction and conditions are in place.
Staying engaged with the profession
Even in semi-retirement, Michel has remained closely connected to the profession and the Institute. He participated in the peer review of the 31st and 32nd CPP actuarial reports. He has continued his volunteer involvement, including work related to mortality promulgation, membership in the Pension Practice Committee, promoting VPLAs and staying current through professional webcasts across organizations. Michel occasionally contributes through speaking engagements, including presenting at a CIA meeting in Calgary in 2026.
Outside of these engagements, Michel enjoys golf, skiing, paddling and hiking, along with a steady habit of reading widely. He starts early, spending time each morning reading newspapers from Canada and abroad, following issues from multiple perspectives. In recent years, Michel relocated to British Columbia, a move shaped by family and shifting priorities.
A strong foundation and a lasting legacy
Michel also received the CIA’s Lifetime Award in 2026, recognizing decades of volunteer impact.
The President’s Award recognizes a different dimension of legacy: a sustained impact on actuarial practice in Canada. Michel’s record reflects that standard. It is grounded in technical credibility, persistence on complex public-policy issues, decades of volunteer service, leadership through disruption and continued commitment to the profession’s public-interest role.