Robert Cohen

Senior Actuarial Consultant & Retirement Actuary

Robert has over 25 years of experience in employee benefits, including a number of roles within HR benefit consultancies and Big 4 accounting firms. His specialties include actuarial, administrative, and technological solutions in the areas of pension, health care, and post-retirement benefits.

Professional Experience

  • Reviewed multiemployer plan’s calculations pursuant to a dispute relating to withdrawal liability assessment under both a complete and partial withdrawal scenario. Evaluated impact of various alternative methods.
  • Provided due diligence to domestic and U.S. multi-nationals involved in merger and acquisition activity. Advised on financial, compliance, and regulatory matters related to U.S. as well as international plans. Added value by increasing understanding of pension risks through the forecasting of funding and accounting requirements under U.S. GAAP.
  • Performed actuarial analysis related to bankruptcies in the U.S. and Canada. Advised creditors’ committees on financial cost impact (GAAP and cash) of current and alternative pension and health care designs, on motions under Sections 1113 and 1114 of the Bankruptcy Code, and on plan termination process. Created financial models to forecast pension costs, compare plan design alternatives, and propose funding strategies.
  • Worked with attorneys, senior compensation and benefits personnel. Advised on alternative nonqualified pension plan designs. Created parameter-driven actuarial and financial model to evaluate projected FAS 87, FAS 88, and FAS 158 cost impacts of plan designs.
  • Calculated and projected the plan sponsor minimum funding requirements under the Internal Revenue Code and regulations, the financial statement and disclosure requirements according to relevant accounting standards (FASB, GASB), the PBGC premium, and the plan termination liability under Title IV of ERISA.
  • Designed, implemented, and analyzed defined benefit pension plans. Forecasted liabilities, cash contributions, FASB and GASB pension, and OPEB cost. Prepared valuations of post-retirement medical plans, performed nondiscrimination testing, asset liability modeling, and evaluated administrative outsourcing.
  • Consulted on and analyzed defined benefit pension and post-retirement medical-related issues in spin-offs, divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcies, including cost analysis under FAS 87, FAS 88, and FAS 106 (now ASC Topics 715 and 960).