Telos Meet the Team:
Riley Schinzel, ASA, MAAA, Associate Actuary
Riley started with us as an intern. As we celebrate his four-year anniversary here at Telos, we also celebrate his new ASA designation! Big things are ahead for this guy, and we couldn’t be prouder to watch him grow!
The business side…
What led you to pursue this career path? Math was always my best subject in school, and I sort of knew what an actuary was through a friend's dad who is one. I entered college with an undecided major, but after I took the first actuary class I never looked back.
What is the best piece of career advice you have been given? Paraphrasing, but from an unknown guest speaker I had the pleasure of listening to at UNL: Before you send something out to a manager or client, ask yourself, "What is the first question they will have about this?" Then answer that question before they can ask it.
What has been your most rewarding professional experience so far? I recently obtained my ASA! I passed exam one of seven in 2019, so it was a long but rewarding process.
What is the most stressful part of your job? Sometimes we get some pretty crazy inquires from various state departments.
Do you have a professional mentor? There are so many amazing and experienced actuaries at Telos that it's difficult to say I have just one!
How do you approach your work/life balance? There's not a ton of balance when studying for an exam, but otherwise I would say naturally it's pretty easy for me to shut off that part of my brain outside the office.
Do you feel you have a specific area of expertise in your field? Throughout my career at Telos I am thankful to have learned so much about Medicare supplement. One of my favorite specific areas is setting IBNR claim reserves.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute to your success and why? Grit - It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by actuarial exams, but you just have to keeping moving forward.
What is one professional skill you are currently working on? Now that I have obtained my ASA, I am excited to begin taking on more of a consulting role and work on the communication skills that come with that.
Do you have any specific goals or milestones you are striving to achieve? I am hoping to complete all the FSA course requirements by the end of 2026.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone just starting out in your same career path? Don't be afraid to take a little break between exams if life gets in the way.
Do you have a professional book that you would recommend everyone read? Not really, but a cool book more about life is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
And the personal side…
Favorite restaurant? Pizza from Williamsburg Pizza.
What is the coolest thing you’ve ever made? I was pretty proud of this mulch bed I put in my front yard last spring. It looks better than the bare dirt that used to run along the house anyway.
What was your first job? Ecommerce Staff at Younkers. (Not saying it's related, but they went bankrupt AFTER I was off staff.)
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? So far nothing has really topped this trip to Mexico my senior year of high school with a couple of my best friends and our families.
Do you have any siblings? I have one younger sister.
What is your favorite holiday and why? The Fourth of July - Spending time with friends and family on a lake!
What is your guilty pleasure? Watching a new TV series all day or night.
What is something that always makes you smile? My Mini American Eskimo rescue Teddy.
Where did you grow up? Omaha, NE
What is your favorite season? Summer, for the lake days.
What is the first concert you ever attended? Hannah Montana Best concert? Tim McGraw
What is the bravest thing you ever did? I held onto my kitchen egress window during a tornado last spring instead of letting it get fully ripped off the house. Probably not the smartest move, but I did save the window!
