ABIR Companies Welcome 91 Summer Interns
The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers [ABIR] member companies announced that its member companies are “hosting a record number of 91 paid interns in their Bermuda offices this year.”
A spokesperson said, “To add value to the work experience gained with the island’s leading international re/insurance companies, ABIR is facilitating an Intern Working Group to give the young Bermudians opportunities to network, interact and learn skills that will help them to navigate their way into the industry.”
Marc Grandisson, Chair of ABIR and CEO of Arch Capital Group Ltd., said: “International business is of great economic benefit to Bermuda, but the positive impact on this community goes deeper still. Through internships, mentoring and education, ABIR’s member companies open doors of opportunity for Bermuda’s young people to start their journey towards gaining a first job and building a career.”
John Huff, President and CEO of ABIR, said: “It’s great to see so many young Bermudians taking these opportunities to work with global re/insurance companies here on island, learning skills and making connections that will help them in their future careers. ABIR and our member companies are committed to developing local talent, as we continue to build a diverse, inclusive and sustainable workforce.”
Among the Intern Working Group’s activities was a breakfast learning session with executive coach Dr. Crystal Clay, of Olive Branch Consulting, who advised interns on how to network effectively, in person and via social media, and to “build their brand”. The event, at The Cloud restaurant, was sponsored by Fortitude Re.
Andrew Sooboodoo, Chief Risk Officer of Fortitude Re, said: “Fortitude Re is pleased to support Bermuda’s next generation of young leaders. By partnering with ABIR, we have provided this cohort with further education on the reinsurance industry as well as tangible business skills. We look forward to continuing to support this important initiative.”
The interns were able to apply knowledge gained from Dr. Clay at ABIR’s Celebration of ‘Building the Bermuda Talent Pipeline’ networking reception on July 14, attended by 135 dignitaries, re/insurance executives and interns.
The first ABIR Scholars, 2022 Bermuda College graduates Kallan Richardson, the ABIR/Arch Scholar, and Miguel Simas, the ABIR/RenaissanceRe Scholar, received their awards at the reception. The two-year scholarships will fund their tuition at St. John’s University’s Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management Insurance and Actuarial Science [GSRM] in New York.
Speaking at the reception, Premier David Burt said, “The Government looks forward to continuing to collaborate with ABIR and all of our partners in international business to continue to nurture and develop Bermudian talent and provide even more opportunities for young Bermudians to have a career in this industry.”
ABIR also organised an ‘Intern to Industry’ Q&A session and networking reception, hosted by Aon. Former interns on the panel spoke about their career progression in the re/insurance industry, offering advice to this year’s interns and taking questions. Jim Fiore, Chief Strategy Officer, Capital Markets, at Aon Bermuda, moderated the panel of Ryan Davidge, VP Property, Aon Bermuda; Allison Bassett, Assistant Underwriter, Arch Insurance [Bermuda]; and Alanah Bacon, AVP, Financial Lines, Hamilton Re.
Joe Rego, President of Aon Bermuda, said: “Aon is pleased to have partnered with ABIR to provide this group of bright, young Bermudians with some practical insight into our industry. We thank the panelists for sharing their knowledge and hope that it will inspire these future leaders to consider pursuing a career in re/insurance.”
A spokesperson said, Other activities of the Working Group included:
- “Production of “A Day in the Life of an Intern” video — the content produced by interns will be used as promotional material by the industry to inform and attract university students
- “A photo-shoot with Focus Point Photography to provide interns with professionally taken headshots courtesy of ABIR
- “A reef clean-up at Ferry Reach – ABIR partnered with Dive Bermuda and Keep Bermuda Beautiful
Ashley Pacheco, who is interning with the property team at Aon, said: “Dr. Clay’s networking session was amazing. It’s not something we learned in school, how you should act, how to take a proper headshot.”
Cree Dunn is interning at PartnerRe, working in the legal, corporate communications and underwriting departments. She said: “I found the networking session very beneficial. It gave us a roadmap to market ourselves, which is important to us, as professionals.”
Nazarah Bridgewater, interning at Aon, said of the ‘Intern to Industry’ event: “It was nice to hear the stories of successful people in the insurance field who were all in my exact position a few years ago. I liked their honesty, saying 10 years ago they would never have thought they would be on the path they are on now.”
Reihonna Lema, interning at Everest Re, said: “The ‘Intern to Industry’ event was very engaging and thought provoking, and also created a stimulating environment to learn and engage with panelists and peers.”
Argo Group will host the Interns Working Group closing reception on August 2.
