It is with much sadness that the management and staff of PBI announce the passing of Susan Chortyk. Susan’s courageous battle with cancer came to an end on November 24, 2022.

In 2008, Susan founded PBI Actuarial Consultants along with Tony Williams and Neil Ramsden and was instrumental in ensuring that our clients made the transition over to PBI. When it came to her clients, Susan was renowned for her meticulous attention to detail and sound, thoughtful consulting advice.

This same thoughtfulness extended to all of those who worked with her. For some, she was a friend. For others, a mentor and role model – especially to the countless female actuaries who followed in her footsteps. Even those who did not work directly with her benefitted from her counsel and her ability to delve to the core of any issue and provide advice which was sound and, at times, profound.

As a mentor, Susan was demanding and set her expectations for each of us through the way she carried out her day-to-day professional life – with integrity, tenacity, and hard work. She often believed in many of us more than we believed in ourselves and did everything that she could to ensure that we realized that potential.

Susan’s generosity of spirit knew no bounds. She understood the value of the small things – from always having a bowl of candy on her desk to supporting everyone’s raffles and cookie sale campaigns, she knew that little gestures of kindness could warm the heart for days. She understood that each of us was a real person with our own real stories to tell and would always take the time to listen to those stories with kindness and a smile.

Susan’s kindness, humour, and thoughtful approach to all of her interactions are what made her the heart and soul of PBI. It is that same kindness, humour, and thoughtfulness that fill our hearts today and will no doubt do so as we remember her in the years to come.

Thank you, Susan, from all of us