Insurance Institute's Master of Business Administration programme.

The council will meet for the first time next week to discuss funding and scholarships for the programme which begins in June. It will also meet with College of Insurance president Dr. Ellen Thrower, whose institution is backing the scheme.

Mr. Thomas V. A. Kelsey, president and CEO of Bermuda-based reinsurer, School, College and University Underwriters (SCUUL) Ltd., has been named chairman of the advisory board. SCUUL Ltd. is owned by 56 colleges, universities and independent schools in the US.

The 12-member board also includes Johnson & Higgins director, chairman of Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Ltd. and chairman of the Insurance Advisory Committee (IAC), Mr. Brian Hall; ACE Ltd. chairman, president and CEO, Mr.

Brian Duperreault; EXEL Ltd. president and CEO, Mr. Brian O'Hara; senior partner of Milligan-Whyte & Smith, Sen. Lynda Milligan-Whyte; President and CEO of American International Co. Ltd., Mr. Joseph Johnson; Ernst & Young partner, chairman-elect of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda and IAC member, Mr. Anthony Joaquin; president and CEO of Centre Cat Reinsurance, Mr. Charles Kline; retired executive vice president of the Bank of Bermuda, Mr. William Thomson; former president and CEO of Bermuda Fire & Marine, Mr. Cyril Rance; and, executive vice president of the Bank of Butterfield, Mr. Victor Garcia.

The Bermuda Insurance Institute has been working on the establishment of the MBA Bermuda programme for months, and BII director of education and training Mr. Peter Doyles, the twelfth council member, underscored the importance of the programme.

He said: "You just need to look at the membership of the advisory council to understand that this is an opportunity for Bermudians to really break into the upper management of these insurance companies.'' In fact, so much interest has been generated within the industry that there is a growing feeling that the programme would survive whether or not the start-up number of 20 students were secured. The "magic'' number of 20 relates to the economic feasibility of the programme, with special instructors regularly jetting in from the college's New York campus.

Six applicants have been confirmed so far as being eligible by the College of Insurance, as other applications continue to be processed.