Williams-Charles To Speak On Panel In Paris
Suzanne Williams-Charles, the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers’ [ABIR] Director of Policy and Regulation, will be a featured panellist at the 13th Insurance Europe International Conference in Paris this June.
A spokesperson said, “Representing Bermuda’s leading insurers and reinsurers, Ms Williams-Charles will speak about ABIR members’ leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] in a panel discussion entitled ‘Why DEI in insurance matters’.
“The conference is the flagship annual event of Insurance Europe, the European insurance and reinsurance federation. Through its 37 member associations, Insurance Europe represents more than 4,900 companies.
“ABIR members play an important role in backing Europe’s insurance market. Bermuda re/insurers paid over $65 billion USD to EU policyholders and ceding companies, mainly for large catastrophes and property and specialty claims, since 1997.
“The Bermuda market writes approximately 20% of broker-placed European property catastrophe reinsurance and would pay an estimated 40% of claims from a European windstorm. ABIR members employ more than 14,000 people in the European Union and the UK.”
“ABIR and our member companies are committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce,” Ms Williams-Charles said. “In Bermuda, our DEI efforts are centred on attracting and developing the next generation of Bermudian leaders, through educational support, work experience opportunities and professional development. I look forward to briefing the delegates on our DEI initiatives in Bermuda in what should be a compelling discussion.”
The spokesperson said, “ABIR partnered with Bermuda College and St. John’s University to offer a 14-week foundational insurance course for a third successive year in 2023, seeking to provide a basic knowledge of the industry to Bermudians from all backgrounds.
“Last year, two of the course participants were awarded the inaugural ABIR scholarships that will support them through undergraduate programmes at St. John’s University. ABIR members also hosted a record number of 91 paid interns in their Bermuda offices last year.
“Full details of the conference are available at the website, https://insuranceeurope.eu.
“Bermudian Williams-Charles serves as ABIR Director of Policy and Regulation, Corporate Secretary and Data Privacy Officer. She volunteers as a member of the Board of Directors of WeSpeak, an organization created by women in Bermuda primarily focused on providing a supportive environment for women across all industries to practice presentation skills, aimed at building the confidence for public speaking through coaching and learning opportunities.”
