Stephen Jones Elected Chairman Of BFIS
At the Annual General Meeting of the Bermuda Foundation For Insurance Studies [BFIS] held on December 4th, Stephen Jones [1998 BFIS Scholar], Vice-President Financial Lines, Underwriter with Chubb, was elected as the new Chairman of the Foundation.
“Stephen is a long-serving member of both the Board of Trustees and the Scholarship Committee and in a short speech at the end of the meeting, talked about the integral part BFIS plays in assisting Bermudian students financially to secure their tertiary education and how gratifying it is to meet up with them again as working professionals in the insurance arena,” BFIS said.
“As a BFIS Scholarship recipient, mentee and mentor, Stephen has an in-depth knowledge of the Foundation and is a strong advocate for all the programmes that BFIS runs to support students from high school up to young professional level with career advice, scholarships, mentoring, networking and job search.”
BFIS Board and Committee Members attending the AGM [left to right – standing] Christina Ratteray, Allan Fox, Meredith Head, James Botelho, Dr. Duranda Greene, Victoria Cunningham, Brittany De Frias, Carol Faries, Konrad Rentrup, Catherine Wight, Nick Butterfield, Deniece Gordon, Jonathan Allen, Yelena Packwood. [Seated] David Soutter [Treasurer], Samantha Froud, Jane Bielby [Administrator], Shelle Hendrickson, Stephen Jones [Chairman], Walter Scott, Gail Martin and Cathy Lapsley [Executive Director]
Outgoing Chair Gail Martin thanked donor companies for their financial support, as well as committee members and volunteers for their commitment during the year.
Treasurer David Soutter reported, “BFIS is in a sound financial position, albeit operating in an environment which continues to be challenging. The BFIS Finance Committee continues to have a disciplined approach to managing the Foundation’s balance sheet which will serve and deliver for many years ahead.
“During the fiscal year the company gave out 10 scholarships of $356,000 which was slightly lower than prior years. We continue to focus on managing income and expenses in parallel with the aim of preserving the endowment fund for it to serve and provide for students for future decades.
“BFIS continues to dedicate time, energy and financial support to all of its programmes, which include the Career Guidance programme, the Mentor Networking programme, the Internship programme and the Job Search programme. No other organisation provides all these services under one umbrella and these are invaluable in helping students prepare for the future.”
Executive Director Cathy Lapsley said how delighted she is with the enthusiasm and dedication of the BFIS Committees which comprise mostly BFIS Alumni.
She went on to say that the Schools Outreach Committee established last December was making excellent progress in the schools; the Mentor Network Committee continues to focus on undergraduate students; and the Alumni Committee formed 3 years ago is doing a fantastic job raising funds through various events to support the Alumni Scholarship.
Walter Scott, one of BFIS’ Founding Members and retired Chairman, CEO and President of ACE, wound up the meeting by saying that “back in 1996 he had no idea that BFIS would grow into the great organisation it is today.”
