The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers will host globally renowned standard-setters from the EU, US and UK next month at the Abir Risk Forum.

Speakers at the Hamilton Princess and Beach Club on April 8 will include Petra Hielkema, chairwoman of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority; Scott White, president of the US National Association of Insurance Commissioners and Commissioner of the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance; and Sir Charles Roxburgh, chairman of Lloyd’s.

Mark Cloutier, chairman of Abir, said: “It is my distinct pleasure to welcome such a distinguished list of prominent international supervisors to the Island. Bermuda has long been recognised as a centre of international business and is globally renowned in the area of regulatory and supervisory standards for insurers and reinsurers.

“It speaks volumes about the significance of our companies and our independent financial services regulator, the Bermuda Monetary Authority, that so many regulators travel here so frequently for important supervisory colleges.”

John Huff, chief executive officer of Abir, said: “ABIR is pleased to be able to enable these valuable discussions in Bermuda by hosting this important event.

“As a former supervisor myself, I appreciate the important role that host supervisors play. It also once again demonstrates how critically important it is that Bermuda has mutual recognition in both Europe and the US via Solvency II equivalence in the EU and NAIC qualified and reciprocal jurisdiction status in the US.”

The forum’s theme is “Compliance, Capital, Capacity”. Proceedings will kick off officially at 10.30am with a welcome from Andrew Murdoch, the Governor. Mr Cloutier will preside over the programme.

The first panel of the day entitled, “Compliance and Co-operation: Ten Years of Solvency II and Solvency II Equivalence,” will be moderated by Shannon Bender, Group General Counsel, RenaissanceRe and will feature Petra Hielkema, chairwoman of EIOPA and Craig Swan, CEO of the BMA.

Antoinette Hurtado, the US Consul General, will introduce a panel entitled, “Safety and Soundness: NAIC Qualified and Reciprocal Reinsurers Protecting Consumers” moderated by Jonathan Kent, business editor of The Royal Gazette.

Panellists include Nicolas Papadopoulo, CEO of Arch Capital Group, and Scott White, president of the NAIC, and Commissioner of the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance.

After a networking lunch, Sir Charles Roxburgh, chairman of Lloyd's and Fiona Luck, senior independent deputy chairwoman of Lloyd’s, will have a seaside chat around the theme: “Lloyd’s and Bermuda: Our Foundation and Our Future”.

Andy Mais, former president of the NAIC, and former vice-chairman of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), and senior adviser, Deloitte, will provide a special report on the global re/insurance market, including Bermuda.

Mike Yaworsky, Florida’s Insurance Commissioner will discuss “Reinsurance and Resilience: Protecting 24 Million Floridians“.

Jeff Manson, senior vice-president, underwriting and head of global public-sector partnership, at RenaissanceRe will moderate Jonathan Dixon, secretary-general, IAIS, Stephen Catlin, executive chairman of Convex, Clement Cheung, CEO, Insurance Authority of Hong Kong, and Dennis Noordhoek, director of public policy and regulation, of the Geneva Association, as they discuss “The Power of Partnerships” to help close the protection gap.

Global credit rating agency KBRA and US public policy firm Mindset will convene a discussion on “Emerging Narratives”, including geopolitical risks and quality of credit, with panellists including Ricardo Garcia, managing director of the BMA, and Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner and chairman of the NAIC (E) Committee, Nathan Houdek.

Finally, Gerald Gakundi, deputy managing director, head of insurance and investment funds, at the BMA, will moderate a panel of Bermuda Reinsurance CEOs called “Reinsurance to the Rescue - Leveraging Reinsurance Capital”.

A Bermuda market cocktail reception will bring proceedings to a close from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, led with keynote comments by David Burt, the Premier and Minister of Finance.

The event is supported by Abir member companies and event partners KBRA, the Bermuda Business Development Agency, Deloitte and The Institutes Knowledge Group.

• Click here to learn more about this must-attend event on the Bermuda Risk Calendar or visit www.abir.bm