Public Speaking Resources
Speakers invited by the Academy to address a webinar, seminar or other education program, meeting, briefing, or hearing play a vital role in accomplishing the Academy’s mission to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession.
This webpage offers key public speaking resources, including information on how to work with Academy staff before speaking; coaching and tips on effective public speaking whether in-person or virtually; and technical information. Our resources and information are regularly updated, so be sure to revisit this webpage and follow these three easy steps each time you accept an invitation to speak from the Academy.
1. Start Here: Watch “Your Keys to Speaker Success”
For additional public speaking tips, download and read the Academy’s “Winning in the Public Eye: A Public Speaking Guide for Actuaries.“
Did you know? Not only can public speaking be a professionally and personally rewarding experience, but also time spent learning public speaking skills or doing business presentations may count toward “general business skills” continuing education credit under the U.S. Qualification Standards (Section 2.2.6).
2. Take Specific Actions for Certain Event Types (continue to step 3 if you’re not speaking at one of these event types)
Speakers at Academy-Hosted Webinars
Check that your technical setup meets the minimum requirements for an Academy webinar presenter.
- The Academy uses a webinar platform called ON24. To ensure a successful webinar, free of technical issues, it is imperative that all webinar presenters participate using equipment that meets the minimum system requirements for ON24. Please confirm with your IT provider that your equipment meets these minimum requirements.
- Minimum Operating System Requirements
- Windows OS 10 running the latest version of Google Chrome. Edge and Firefox are also acceptable; or
- Mac OS 10, 10 + running the latest version of Firefox or Chrome; or
- iPad OS on a tablet running the latest version of Google Chrome; or
- Android OS latest version on a tablet running the latest version of Google Chrome and
- A webcam and microphone (use your computer default or select a microphone and webcam on the login menu).
- Internet Browser Configuration
- Must be set to accept cookies and have JavaScript enabled. Google Chrome browser is preferred.
- Internet Connection
- A stable, high-speed internet connection is required – preferably wired (Ethernet) versus Wi-Fi. A Wi-Fi hotspot on a phone tends to not provide enough internet stability to support ON24. Please do not attempt to conduct the webinar from an unstable Wi-Fi connection as this can impact the entire webinar. If you are unsure of your internet stability, please plan to conduct the webinar from a location with stable and reliable internet.
- Connection Speed
- 1 Mbps or faster
- Please use the Academy-branded PowerPoint template obtained from your staff liaison when creating your presentation slides.
- Confirm the slide deck is set to 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio. To verify, click on the Design tab and check the slide size.
- Confirm that no sound, music, or voice narration is being used.
- Confirm there are no embedded Excel files, SmartArt Graphics, or animated GIFs -embedded files are not supported.
- Confirm there are no slides with embedded fonts-embedded fonts are not supported.
- Confirm there are no embedded audio, video, or Flash clips being used. We can support video files, (but they will be uploaded separately from the slide deck as an MP4 file).
- If using animations, confirm the first animation on each slide is set to Start on Click. From the Animations tab, click Animation Pane and set to 1st Animation should start on Click.
- Please remove any slide transitions. We will add slide transitions to the final deck so all presenters’ transitions are the same.
- Confirm that all elements (text, images, charts, etc.) are within the borders of the slide.
- If using charts, please use charts that are clear and legible and that the numbers are easy to read.
Speakers Providing Legislative Testimony on Behalf of the Academy
- Read the Academy’s guide, “Winning in the Public Eye: Providing Legislative Testimony.“
3. Contact Your Academy Staff Liaison
Contact your staff liaison to get additional coaching and/or gather information and ask questions about critical details such as content deadlines, the correct PowerPoint template to use, and how the Academy review process works. Common staff contacts by event type include:
- If you’re speaking at an Academy webinar, seminar, or the Annual Meeting – contact the Education and Events staff at education@actuary.org.
- If you’re speaking by arrangement with the Academy at an actuarial club, employer of actuaries, or educational institution – contact the Communications staff at communications@actuary.org.
- If you’re working with the Academy staff on another type of presentation, you can find their contact information here.