From pricing life insurance products to leading strategic modeling initiatives, Taylor Shear's actuarial journey has been anything but linear. After more than a decade of experience spanning product development, financial projections, and asset liability management, Taylor recently relocated to Orange County to join Pacific Life as Director of Life Product Development.

In this interview, Taylor shares how mentorship, leadership, and a deep commitment to team-building have shaped a career rooted in purpose—and how those values continue to guide his impact at Pacific Life.
 

What has your actuarial career path looked like?

My actuarial career journey began after graduating from Bradley University in 2012 with a degree in Mathematics and starting at Country Financial in Bloomington, Illinois. Over six years in Pricing and Product Development, I had the opportunity to price a range of products including Whole Life, Term Life, Universal Life, and even standalone Long-Term Care.

In March 2018, I transitioned to Financial Modeling and Projections at Country Financial, focusing on asset adequacy analysis, model development, and strategic asset allocation—wearing several hats along the way.

In March 2020, I joined State Farm as the Manager of Life Pricing, leading the pricing of the Whole Life suite following Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Section 7702 revisions and guiding the launch of a new Guaranteed Issue Final Expense product. Then, in August 2022, I rotated to Manager of Asset Liability Management (ALM), overseeing corporate model projections and asset adequacy analysis.

In May 2025, I moved my family across the country and joined Pacific Life as Director of Life Product Development. I hope to apply my pricing expertise, along with experience in leadership and collaboration, to help further enhance Pacific Life's product offerings. I believe strong products are built by strong teams, so my first step has been to build the strongest team that I can, and my next step will be to support that team.

What accomplishments or milestones are you most proud of in your career?

One accomplishment I’m most proud of is helping transform a disengaged analyst on my team into a highly engaged team contributor. When he joined my team, he was clearly talented but disconnected from the work and the team. Over two years, I focused on building trust and fostering consistent engagement—introducing weekly icebreaker questions, daily stand-ups with rotating hosts, and creating space for open dialogue.

By the time he rotated off, he was actively participating in meetings, supporting teammates, and contributing meaningfully to discussions. His subsequent managers have continued to rate him highly, which speaks to the lasting impact of our work together. This experience reinforced my belief that when people feel heard and connected, they bring their best selves to the job—and that’s when the best work happens.

What opportunities, mentorship, or resources have been most valuable to you?

I’ve had the privilege of learning from incredible mentors and colleagues throughout my career. But the experience that taught me the most about leadership came from building and leading the Midwest Dota 2 League (MD2L) with a close friend.

The Midwest Dota 2 League is a competitive gaming league centered around the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, Dota 2. It brings together teams from the Midwest region of the United States to compete in organized matches and tournaments.

We started the league with a small tournament of 20 people, eventually building to a community of more than 1,000 members over 19 (and counting) seasons. The league required a team to run and manage, and it was entirely nonprofit. It's hard to appreciate the effort required to motivate a team with no compensation and often competing interests until you've experienced it.

My model of leadership evolved rapidly when driving and growing MD2L. I learned that leadership isn’t about making decisions that please everyone—it’s about listening, navigating competing priorities, and staying anchored to shared values. This experience continues to shape how I lead teams at work—focusing on purpose, inclusion, and long-term impact.