The Managing Partner at Neuwirth Associates Consulting talks with Pete about dividing assets in Silver Divorce.
Peter Neuwirth was featured panelist at this year’s Lawrenceville Alumni Weekend: “What’s Next”
A Note from Pete, May 31, 2024 — I was honored to be a part of a panel discussion of “What’s Next” that kicked off our 50th High School reunion today. The panel was moderated by Harvey Kirk ’74 and included Alan D’Andrea ’74, Mark Gabrielson ’74, John Arensmeyer ’74, and Doug Simon ’76. As seen by their bios, below, my classmates have each had an enormous impact in their respective fields and I feel very lucky to have been able to be part of the conversation regarding what the future might hold for all of us and how to make the most of it. While the session was about the future, most of the weekend itself was devoted to catching up on the past and finding out which of the “What’s Next” scenarios we all envisioned 50 years ago came to pass. Click here to review my slideshow presentation.
Meet the Panelists:
- PETE NEUWIRTH ‘74 – Right after graduating from Harvard, Pete was hired as an actuarial student at a large life insurance company and has worked as a consulting actuary ever since. He has written two books on using the actuarial perspective to make better decisions and last year launched the consulting firm NeuwirthAssociates.consulting.
- HARVEY KIRK ‘74 (MODERATOR) — After leaving Chapel Hill, Harvey enjoyed a long career in publicity and media relations in New York, specializing in theater, film, and nightlife. He is currently Chief Compliance Officer at a financial services company headquartered in his native North Carolina. A passion for the performing arts, significantly informed by his Periwig participation, continues to stir in him today.
- JOHN ARENSMEYER ‘74 — After an early career in politics and then as an attorney, John founded and ran an interactive communications company for 12 years. For the past 20 years, he has led the Small Business Majority, a public policy-focused organization that empowers America’s entrepreneurs to build a thriving and inclusive economy.
- ALAN D’ANDREA ‘74 — The Fuller-American Cancer Society Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Alan’s laboratory focuses on chromosome breakage in cancer and developing novel anti-cancer drugs. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences.
- MARK GABRIELSON ‘74—After graduating from Princeton, Mark worked in international marketing and strategic planning for a pharmaceutical multinational. He then became a General Partner of a biomedical venture capital firm. He also founded and served as CEO of two life sciences companies. Mark has also taught celestial navigation at Harvard and written books.
- DOUGLAS SIMON ‘76 — As managing director, Doug leads a six-person team that manages $1.2 billion of client assets. He began his financial career in 1999. He graduated from Temple University Medical School and completed his residency in anesthesia at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Learn more: Be sure to read Pete’s essay, Living in Two Worlds. “It will give you more background on where I came from and why I chose Box of Rain for our class playlist,” says Pete, inviting readers to check out a chapter he expects to publish in a new book project: Just another Bozo on the Bus. Click here to learn more »
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A Note from Peter Neuwirth: What is an actuary?
That’s the question I have been asked for more than 40 years.
I am Pete Neuwirth, and I love the work I do. So I wanted to go beyond answering that question to answer another: “How does an actuary think, and why does it matter?”
In my first book: “What’s Your Future Worth,” I provide what I believe is an accessible, step-by-step guide to using the powerful concept of Present Value—which allows readers to determine the value today of something that might happen in the future—to evaluate all of the outcomes that might arise from choosing one path as opposed to another.
My next book: This one takes this exploration to a new level. Entitled “Money Mountaineering,” I explore the world of money and provide views on its nature and the challenges we all face as we try to survive, even thrive, in this complex, uncertain, noisy, and sometimes irrational wilderness. It is designed to help readers understand what kind of advice they truly need—to gain a better understanding of the financial world they must live in and what they must do to make their way through it.
In actuarial circles: I am proud to say that I have a reputation among my peers as being a creative, knowledgeable, and experienced actuary with a penchant for both problem solving and thinking “outside of the box.” I also pride myself on being a storyteller who believes that the story from the actuarial perspective needs to be told. I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences and have been quoted in the mainstream and industry press on actuarial matters. I am also a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries.
Experience: I have consulted with dozens of the world’s largest corporations about the retirement plans they sponsor, which has provided me with a deep practical understanding of three fundamental concepts (time, risk, money) that shape our world. Many of those insights are shared in my books, as well as the essays you’ll find on this website.
At home: I am a happy and proud resident of Santa Rosa, CA. When my house burnt down several years ago, I was inspired to write essays about the experience and pen stories about the pandemic and other life lessons. Click here to read more about that experience and how it inspired me and my colleagues to create a new company — Peter Neuwirth & Associates, a company that is a guide for those going through a Silver Divorce.
You are invited: Please peruse my website, check out my speaking engagements, and contact me if I or my partners can speak at your next event or on your podcast or video show. I look forward to talking with you soon!