Kevin O’Donnell, the chief executive officer of RenaissanceRe, spelled out the importance of education to a group of 40 female students who visited the reinsurance firm.

The students, from eight of the Island’s senior schools, were hosted by the RenaissanceRe Women’s Forum for a career day and mentoring event yesterday.

Women at RenaissanceRe shared their insights into the reinsurance industry, outlined various job roles at the company, offered tips for interviewing, and highlighted skills students will need to develop to be successful in the corporate world.

Mr O’Donnell shared his own career path with the students and stressed: “I encourage all of you to acquire the best education possible so you have a wide range of career options to choose from, and find a job and an industry you’re passionate about.”

The CEO added that he was “proud of our team of talented professional women whose contributions are a vital part of our company’s success”.

He described reinsurance as a dynamic industry and Bermuda as a wonderful location to live and work.

Students and school career counsellors networked with women at RenaissanceRe who offered job advice and insight into their daily work activities in roles such as administration, claims, facilities, finance, human resources, information technology, legal, marketing and communications, and underwriting.

Melissa Judd, a counsellor and student services coordinator at Somersfield Academy, said the event was “a unique opportunity for girls in Bermuda to connect with women in the reinsurance industry and learn about their various careers”.

Laura Bonanno, the chairwoman of RenaissanceRe’s Women’s Forum, said the group liked to do something meaningful for the community at this time of year.

“In 2015, we wanted to focus on education and opportunities for the next generation of women professionals,” Ms Bonanno said. “It was the first time we’ve hosted a career day and we were thrilled to learn that many students are looking to pursue careers in actuarial science, information technology, finance and the law.

“All of these studies would support a career in reinsurance, and we look forward to having these accomplished women pursue opportunities at RenaissanceRe in the future.”

Participating schools included: Berkeley Institute, Bermuda High School, Bermuda Institute, CedarBridge Academy, Mount St Agnes, Saltus Grammar School, Somersfield Academy and Warwick Academy.