everywhere By Beverley Causey-Smith Mary Hennessy, President and Chief Executive Officer, at Overseas Partners Ltd., has made her mark in Bermuda's reinsurance industry which is now recognised as one of the world's leading reinsurance centres.

The moment you shake hands with her you feel her warmth and know that she is someone you can trust.

She puts you at ease like a favourite teacher. Perhaps this is because Mrs.

Hennessy was a teacher of mathematics and religion at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey until 1976.

"If I had to describe myself in ten words or less I would say intense, hardworking, balanced, funny, caring, strong willed and smart,'' Mrs. Hennessy said.

When she looks straight into your eyes you see a capable leader who is passionate about life and her work.

Transcendent warmth and corporate capability give Mrs. Hennessy a powerful aura guaranteed to sparkle in any crowded room of suits.

Even in today's modern business world, there are few women so high on the ladder employed by such a powerful company where risks are the name of the game.

Overseas Partners Ltd., (OPL), is a Class 3 and long-term reinsurer under the laws of Bermuda and is one of the world's largest reinsurance companies and third largest in Bermuda.

It has more than 97,000 share owners with total assets and members' equity at September 30, 2000 of $4.8 billion and $1.9 billion respective.

OPL maintains an investment portfolio valued in excess of $2.4 billion in order to support its reinsurance operations.

"I started out as a high school math teacher who loved her job but was poorly paid and if that was not bad enough I was `laid off' during the recession.

"It was the best thing that could have happened to me though I was disappointed at the time.

"I knew I could become an actuary because of my mathematical ability. I landed a job with an insurance company as an actuary.

"It was very male dominated but my colleagues recognised that I was a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society. At that time there was an actuarial designation of less than 500 people in the US.

"I established myself based on my credentials, then results from hard work and excellent communication skills. My training as a teacher paid off for me.'' Mrs. Hennessy explained that an actuary is a business professional who analyses the financial consequences of risk.

They use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to study uncertain future events and base their business forecasts on their studies.

"Being an actuary is a bit like being a fireman. Every day is different, you are a little on the edge, but prepared to put out fires each day.

"You assess and react with the best possible plan without panic.'' Her career created the necessity to travel extensively during the late 1970s and 1980s she found herself traveling 85 percent of the time.

Her marriage failed and she became a single mother of a young daughter by 1978.

"By the time my child was about six, I decided that I must focus more on her and create a more stable home environment. Although I was based in Philadelphia most of my clients were in the Midwest and California.

"On one of my business trips out west, I had a defining signal. My plane dropped from the sky in Los Angeles but the pilot was able to restart the engines and we did not crash! "I was overwhelmed with emotion about the fact that I was leaving behind my lovely, small daughter. I resigned from the high profile job after that and moved to American Re in Princeton, New Jersey.'' This was the perfect fit for the executive mom and daughter who later attended Harvard University.

"I am close to my family of eight brothers and sisters. I love Bermuda, its people, the water and this beautiful Island has a lot to offer.

"My move here last year forced my separation from my daughter and family and it was a difficult choice for me to make personally. However, we are all traveling to each other when we get the chances.'' Mrs. Hennessy says the best advice she has received came from Jon Rotenstreich, a friend and mentor who told her: "You can be anything you want to be. I have seen you work harder than any man and you have all the components to be a CEO.'' She values being a good Mom as one of her best achievements and thinks she is very good with people.

"I help develop talent personally and professionally. I am someone people like to work for. I like to maximise the achievements of people.

"A huge career achievement was helping Citibank buy an insurance company,'' she said.

Down the road Mrs. Hennessy would like to do some community teaching and technical training involving mathematics and actuary skills.

"I am always very involved and intense when it comes to achieving goals.

"I have never tried to be like anyone else. I model positive traits that I have observed and I believe that each person should strive to be the best he or she can be,'' she shared.

Perhaps the existence of powerful people, like Mrs. Hennessy, in business today will make it easier for talented women of the future.

Mrs. Hennessy exemplifies that hard work, talent and dedication to people first and then tasks, leads to success.

"I try to mentor young people. Last summer I hired five delightful college students. At Christmas they come back to work. I am trying to build a place in Bermuda to capture the talent here.

"I love listening to the ideas and perceptions of smart, creative young people,'' she concluded.

Six years ago she married Jeff Webb who is a retired reinsurance executive and former instructor at the College of Insurance in New York.

Neither of them like cold weather and they appreciate Bermuda's climate and healthy environment.