Sherron Williams is a model example to all Bermudian women who want to succeed in business.

For Ms Williams started out as a trainee underwriter 17 years ago but now she finds herself rubbing shoulders with some of the world's top businesswomen on Business Insurance's top 50 'Women to Watch' list.

She is thought to be the first Bermudian woman to make the shortlist.

And Ms Williams, who is the chief underwriting officer for professional liability operations at XL Insurance Ltd., puts her inclusion in the world's top 50 down to sheer hard work.

"First and foremost I am not entirely sure of their criteria, but what I would like to think is that it is because of the hard work I have done over the last three years," she said.

"What I have done over that time is to revitalise and move forward my team, so I would like to think that was the strong deciding factor."

Indeed, she attributes a lot of her success to her team's spirit and endeavour.

"I think it is tremendously important to empower your team - I don't think you can be successful unless you can have someone or some people who can strongly support your team and I find in my team they are strongly supportive," she said.

As a Bermudian, Ms Williams recognises the importance of local recruitment within the Bermuda market and she has mentored and counselled several young Bermudians in the insurance industry.

And she reckons the opportunities for young Bermudians in business on the Island are better than ever at the moment.

"Being here we have such a huge concentration of insurance capital and we have far less people by which to service it," she said.

"I think it is a tremendous opportunity for Bermudians in this field.

"There are a significant number of expatriates here and they work very hard, but the mere fact that we have had to import such labour means that there is such an opportunity. The Bermudians that have worked hard and diligently, generally, have succeeded in business." But Ms Williams believes there is still a disparity in the workplace between top male and female earners.

"I still think we have a way to go and my comments are for Bermuda," she said. "I think women have made excellent progress and we have a way to go. Although we are not yet 50:50 with men, we will get there one day."

Meanwhile she is keen to acknowledge how much XL has helped her career progression. "XL has always been very supportive and particularly since I have assumed this role," she said. "I like the fact that XL gives me a great deal of autonomy. We agree on goals, and then they leave me to execute.

"There is no one hovering over me, telling me what to do and feeling as if you really are in charge of your destiny appeals to me to a great extent."

The 44-year-old, who is based in Hamilton, started out in insurance with XL as a trainee underwriter in 1991 before working her way up through the ranks.

She became assistant vice-president of the company in 1995 and was then appointed vice-president in December 1997.

In February 2002 Ms Williams, who has a masters degree in Business Administration from York University in Toronto, Ontario, and a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she assumed the role of senior vice-president and deputy chief underwriter, before being promoted to her current position as chief underwriting officer four years ago.

She heads a 15-strong team which manages the second largest portfolio of business within XL's Bermuda operations.

XL's professional liability operations provide directors and officers liability, employment practices liability and errors and omissions insurance coverage to large corporations in a range of industries, with the Bermuda division offering one of the most diverse product portfolios on the Island.

Under Ms Williams' leadership, the professional liability team extended its portfolio of directors and officers liability products, while she has provided her industry expertise at conferences including PLUS (Professional Liability Underwriting Society) and more recently, co-chaired the 2007 Bermuda PLUS Symposium held in Bermuda in June.

Two of her staff were nominated and selected as part of XL's Global Development Programme, which was launched in 2003 to recognize young talent across the company, while Ms Williams has also given speeches to high school and college students about careers in the insurance industry.

She said: "The vast majority of people roughly my age fell into insurance. I graduated in 1991 during the first and probably only recession in Bermuda and many companies weren't hiring at that time.

"But once I came into the interview with XL I realised that it was not only a job but a strong career and that is how I got into insurance. I started with XL and and have just worked my way up through the ranks."

For now though Ms. Williams is just happy to keep up the hard work and see what the future brings. "When I first started in my career I set myself targets for every three, five or 10 years, but I have gone beyond that now," she said. "I don't set targets anymore and I just work hard and let the future its own course."

And her message for any aspiring Bermudian businesswomen out there is this.

"Work hard, be punctual, be consistent. But, I also say to them, 'don't forget that you are a woman, embrace your femininity'.

"Women bring unique talents to the workforce. Let us not forget that as we progress on.

"But, please don't use the fact that you are women as an excuse as to why you cannot excel. That I do not find acceptable."