Building the Bermuda
Insurance & Reinsurance Talent Pipeline
ABIR's Commitment to Future Talent
ABIR looks for opportunities to educate students, future employees, policymakers and others about our industry and the contributions that insurance and reinsurance make to both the local and global economy.
ABIR members are committed to investing in the training and development of a vibrant, local workforce in Bermuda. Along with the internships, educational scholarships in Bermuda by ABIR members totaled over $1.3 million in 2019. In addition, ABIR members continue to offer additional training and development opportunities, such as graduate training programs, tuition reimbursement, and leadership training.
Are you considering a career in re/insurance?
The pandemic has brought about a significant change in the insurance sector, and there will be new global opportunities for aspiring young people. An insurance career is a good choice for millennials as they possess many of the qualities that recruiters in the insurance industry are looking for, such as an affinity for teamwork and problem-solving skills.
There is a wealth of opportunities in the reinsurance industry in Bermuda for students pursuing higher education in the following areas:
If you see your favorite school subject on this list, challenge yourself to prepare for one of the many careers in the insurance and reinsurance world, and be one of the industry’s new, up-and-coming professionals. You can make a start by browsing our fact sheet, discovering jobs that suit you, and learning more about the post-secondary paths to an exciting future in a successful and respected industry, in Bermuda and internationally.
2024 Talent Pipeline Program Offerings
ABIR and its members are offering a wealth of opportunities to expose students and college graduates to the reinsurance and insurance industry sector. These opportunities range from further education, industry forums, internships and professional development. You can view our program initiatives on offer below. Future offerings will be posted on this page, so check back regularly for updates:
ABIR x Bermuda College x St. John's University Spring Virtual Course
Whether you have years of experience in the industry, a basic understanding of it, or are a curious novice, insurance is an exciting and dynamic industry to consider for a career. Despite its operational and financial resilience, it continues to evolve and faces a demanding future. With so many local and international insurance and reinsurance companies in Bermuda, The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) is pleased to partner with Bermuda College and St. John's University, to offer this timely online lecture series offered yearly during the Spring semester beginning in January. The course is free to all participants courtesy of ABIR.
The first session of the lecture series begins with a roundtable discussion on international business in Bermuda.
The 2024 spring course included the following topics:
- The evolution of International Insurance in Bermuda (Captive & Commercial Market)
- Life, Health & Annuity Reinsurance
- Mind the Gap: Bermuda's Reinsurance Role in Helping to Close the #Protection Gap
- Climate Change, Sustainability and Partnerships
- Captive Insurance
- Collateralized Reinsurance
- Cyber Risk
- Insurance Careers, Utilizing LinkedIn and other Social Media
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Issues in Catastrophe Reinsurance Underwriting: The Underwriting Cycle and Adverse Selection
- The Role of Regulation in Insurance: Bermuda Monetary Authority
- Run Off Insurance
The lecture series features industry speakers from the St. John's University faculty and Bermuda re/insurance executives.
Past presenters include:
- Hon. Jason Hayward JP, MP, Minister of Economy and Labour
- Mark Cloutier, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Aspen and Deputy Chair of ABIR
- Suzanne Williams-Charles, ABIR Director of Policy and Regulation, Corporate Secretary & Data Officer
- Craig Simmons, Economist, Bermuda College
- Catherine Duffy, Country Leader of AIG Bermuda
- Chantal Cardinez, CEO of Hannover Re
- John Huff, CEO of ABIR
- Angela A'Zary, SVP, Client Risk Analytics RenaissanceRe
- Grainne Richmond, Executive Vice President, Head of Captives, Aon
- Timae Flood, Assistant Director, Insurance Supervision, BMA
- Taijaun Talbot, Assistant Director, Insurance Supervision, BMA
- Natasha Osborne, Hiscox
- Lloyd Holder, Chief Information Security Officer, SiriusPoint
- George Alayon, Deputy Director, Supervision (Insurance), BMA
- Vicki Wells, Assistant Director, The Ellen Thrower Center for Apprenticeship and Career Service, School of Risk Management, Insurance, and Actuarial Science, St. John's University
- Tai Hong Kim, Assistant Director, The Ellen Thrower Centre for Apprenticeship and Career Service, School of Risk Management, Insurance, and Actuarial Science, St. John's University
- Judy Gonsalves, Vice President, Chubb Group & Division President, Chubb Bermuda
- Jevon Willliams, General Counsel, Chubb Bermuda
- Karen King, Excess Liability Claim Handler, Chubb Bermuda
- Mark Browne, Professor & Faculty Chair, Maurice R. Greenberg, School of Risk Management, Insurance & Actuarial Science, St. John's University
- Gerald Gakundi, Director, Insurance Supervision, Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA)
- Nelson Lee FCAS FIAA FSAS, Chief Actuary General Insurance, Fortitude Re
- Dennis Mathagu, AVP, Corporate Development, Fortitude Re
- Kyle Vrieze, VP, Actuarial Reserving, Fortitude Re
Click here for registration information.
Links
The Royal Gazette | Free reinsurance course attracts record number of people
Interview with John Huff and Jasmine Patterson - January 2023
Industry Internships
Member Company Internships
To add value to ABIR's professional development offerings, its member companies offer several work experience and internship opportunities via the island’s leading international re/insurance companies. These internship opportunities afford young Bermudians opportunities to network, interact and learn skills that will help them to navigate their way into the industry.
2024 summer internships were offered by:
- ABIR
- Aeolus
- AIG
- Aon
- Arch Capital Group
- Argo
- Ariel Re
- Ascot Group
- Aspen
- Chubb
- Conduit Re
- Convex
- Fidelis
- Fortitude Re
- Hamilton
- Hannover Re
- Hiscox Re & ILS
- Marsh McLennan/Guy Carpenter
- Mosaic
- MS Reinsurance
- PartnerRe
- RenaissanceRe
- Sompo Holdings
- Willis Towers Watson.
Professional Development Opportunities
ABIR Summer Internship Program
In 2024, ABIR member companies employed 108 interns who have invited the opportunity to participate in a structured 5-week program designed by ABIR to complement the individual member companies' internship programs.
This year's program involves various workshops and networking events:
- A quiz night ice breaker – a kick-off event for the interns to mingle and network with one another in
the 2024 Intern Working Group
- Lorene Phillips, executive leadership coach and founder of Clarendon Wallace, will lead the interns in an ‘Interviewing Skills’ workshop, a hands-on interactive workshop designed to help interns prepare for and excel in job interviews
- ABIR will gift each intern a professional headshot for their LinkedIn profile, resume or work biography
- Arch Capital Group and Hiscox Re & ILS will host the interns for a two-session ‘Career Roundtable
Series’, featuring young professionals with 3-5 years’ industry experience, representing a cross-section
of roles, to learn more about entry-level jobs
- Dr. Crystal Clay, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, leadership coach and founder of Olive Branch Consulting, will provide social-media coaching to the interns, with a focus on creating and optimising a compelling LinkedIn profile
- A Sustainability and Resilience Volunteer Day
- A social and networking event for the interns to close the programme