BII Fall Conference: Demanding Change In 2020
Lessons learned from enforced work from home due to Covid-19 regulations and how to manage people while working in a virtual environment will be the focus of one panel discussion at a major conference later this month.
The Bermuda Insurance Institute [BII] will hold its 10th Annual Fall Conference via webinars on Tuesday, October 20, and Thursday, October 22. It is titled, ‘Demanding change in 2020; how Bermuda [Re] Insurance will stay 6ft ahead’
Panel moderator, Jenni Rowntree Estis, Head of Operations, Senior Vice President Broking at Guy Carpenter and Company Limited, Bermuda, said: “Covid forced all employers to reassess the traditional working environment as we were all sent to work from home under Government’s mandate to Shelter in Place at April 1.
The panel will touch on topics related to lessons learned around maintaining a safe working environment, reducing reliance on the traditional office – desk – desktop environment to a more flexible one [job role specific], and the challenges, and how to overcome them, of managing persons in a virtual environment.”
On the panel are, Katherine Cupidore, Chief People Officer, Coralisle Group Ltd., Dale Chow, Senior Vice President, Professional Liability, Allied World Insurance Company and Tanya Corbridge, FMA, Property Manager, Waterfront Properties Limited.
Ms Rowntree Estis said: “We certainly have taken the safety aspect of our office environment very seriously. We place high value on interacting as a team [physically vs. virtually] and as such have always had open plan offices.
“Therefore, before heading back to the office we had to install plexi-glass between desks that face each other, mandate the mask wearing in open spaces when not at your desks, increase the cleaning schedule and standards, and only allow visitors into the space with special permission from the CEO. We are trying as hard as is possible to protect the ‘bubble’ that is our team.”
She added: “Work from home forced us all to be better communicators. That trend is one that I would like to see continued even when the workplace accepts persons back into the physical environment.
“During WFH, we could not see someone working away at their computer and presuming that all was well. It became incumbent upon managers to check in on their staff, to engage with them, and help them realize that they are being supported. Many managers put standing weekly appointments in calendars with their reports during WFH, and that trend is one that is continuing…”
Other panels will look at:
- Impact of Covid 19 on the [Re]Insurance market. the Panel will be moderated by Anthony Calder-Smith, Managing Director & Chief Broking Officer at AON Professional Services Group. Bermuda underwriters, brokers and claims specialist will talk about the impact of Covid 19 on the [Re]Insurance market and what the latest developments are.
- Covid-19 and the local financial services market. This panel will be moderated by Don Burgess, a Bermuda news veteran. The panel will talk about how the financial service markets in Bermuda are dealing with Covid-19 issues. Underwriters, Claims Personnel, Pension experts will all be giving their view how their business are addressing this novel issue [reps from Colonial, BF&M and Argus].
- The CEO Panel which will be moderated by Leila Madeiros, Head of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, Bermuda, and AXA XL Data Privacy Officer, Bermuda. AXA XL
For details on how to sign up for the conference go to the Bermuda Insurance Institute website, or call Carol Pitt at the BII on telephone number [441] 295-1596.
