CAS Community Mourns the Passing of Don Mango, FCAS

Donald F. Mango, FCAS, one of the Casualty Actuarial Society’s most prolific researchers and selfless volunteers, has died at the age of 58. Don’s passing was first announced in the New Jersey Star Ledger and through a release by Everest Re Group.

Don began volunteering for the CAS shortly after earning his Fellowship in 1994. His initial volunteer work focused on research and a desire to advance the body of knowledge of actuarial science. His first assignments between 1997 and 2003 included service on the committees of Theory of Risk, Reinsurance Research, ERM, Dynamic Financial Analysis, Research Policy and Management, and Review of Papers. His passion for actuarial education was also evident during this time as he served on the CAS Exams 3 & 4 and the Future Education Task Forces.

The CAS Board of Directors appointed Don for a three-year term as Vice President-Research and Development in November 2002, which served as a springboard for his continued growth as a CAS leader and enabled his influence to spread internationally. During the mid-2000s, Don served on the CAS International Research Committee and the 2006 International Congress of Actuaries Scientific Organizing Committee.

At the conclusion of his term as vice president, CAS Fellows elected Don to his first term on the CAS Board of Directors (2005-2008). During this tenure on the Board, Don chaired the CAS Audit Committee, while also contributing to the Centennial Goal Task Force and CAS Awards Task Force.

Don published many research papers in CAS publications, contributing actuarial literature to the two CAS peer-reviewed publications, the Proceedings of the Casualty Actuarial Society and Variance, as well as the CAS Forum and Discussion Paper Program. He also reached a broader actuarial audience with papers published in the ASTIN Bulletin. Sixteen of Don’s papers can be found in the CAS Research Library.

His research work was recognized with seven CAS awards:

"An Application of Game Theory: Property Catastrophe Risk Load"

• 1997 CAS Reinsurance Prize, for best paper submitted to a call for reinsurance papers
• 1998 Woodward-Fondiller Prize, for best paper submitted to the Proceedings by an Associate or Fellow who attained his/her designation within the last five years of submitting his or her paper

“Risk Load and the Default Rate of Surplus”

• 1999 Michelbacher Prize, for best paper submitted in response to a call for discussion papers

"Dependence Models and the Portfolio Effect" with James Sandor

• 2002 CAS Ratemaking Prize, for best paper submitted to a call for ratemaking papers

"Capital Consumption: An Alternative Methodology for Pricing Reinsurance"

• 2003 CAS Ratemaking Prize
• 2003 CAS Reinsurance Prize
• 2004 Charles A. Hachemeister Prize, for papers published in the ASTIN Bulletin or presented at the ASTIN Colloquium

Don’s love for CAS publications found him contributing beyond writing prize-winning papers, and since 2004, he served as Brainstorms/Explorations column editor for Actuarial Review and as a reviewer for Variance and E-Forum, while also serving on the CAS Literature Review Board.

Don was elected to the CAS Board of Directors in 2013 for a second three-year term, which included service on the Risk Management and Research Oversight Committees. He later served as a consultant to the Syllabus & Examination Committee for over six years.

One of Don’s favorite volunteer activities was serving as a CAS University Liaison, which allowed him to share his love for the actuarial profession with college students. In 2015, Don began serving as the University Liaison to Columbia University, where he later became an adjunct lecturer in actuarial science.

In 2019, Don was recognized for his career-spanning CAS contributions with the Matthew Rodermund Memorial Service Award. The award recognizes CAS members who have made significant volunteer contributions to the actuarial profession over the course of a career. 

Reflecting upon receiving the Rodermund Award, Don summed up his approach to giving back to the actuarial profession in the CAS member magazine, Actuarial Review:

I have found my CAS volunteering efforts . . . to be among the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my career. The whole profession is a shared asset into which we all make contributions and from which we all draw resources and value. Volunteering is how you “make a deposit.”
— Don Mango

As indicated in the New Jersey Star Ledger obituary, those wishing to make a donation in tribute to Don can donate to The Actuarial Foundation, supporting their Actuarial Diversity Scholarship Program.