Member companies of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers are giving 23 young Bermudians a taste of the insurance industry through summer internships.

The students are gaining valuable experience with companies including Aeolus, Arch, Ariel Re, Ascot, Chubb, Convex, Fortitude Re, Hamilton, Mosaic Insurance and Validus, as well as with Abir itself.

Abir is leading an initiative that will enable the interns both to network and to participate in projects related to key areas of focus for the re/insurance industry.

Last week, the students met with Suzanne Williams-Charles, Abir’s Director of Policy and Regulation, who briefed them the on Abir’s role as an industry representative body and its activities in supporting a key area of Bermuda’s thriving international business sector.

Abir is developing two internship working groups for its member companies, using WhatsApp groups to facilitate collaboration.

One of the initiatives has an environmental focus, in line with two issues high on the re/insurance industry’s agenda, climate risk and climate finance. Participating interns have discussed a range of potential projects to pursue, in areas including restoration of the Bermuda environment and renewable energy.

The second working group will focus on planning a “day in the life of an intern” vlog. The aim will be to film short cameos of interns in the workplace and create a video that can serve as promotional material for the industry to help inform and attract university students who may be unaware of intern responsibilities and activities.

John Huff, president and chief executive officer of Abir, said the organisation and its member companies are committed to building a strong human capital pipeline for the re/insurance industry to enable the firms to source diverse local talent and to help Bermudians from all backgrounds participate fully in a sector that is one of the main engines of the island’s economy.

He said: “Our aim is to add value to the internships provided by our members by enhancing opportunities for the interns to network, while working on meaningful initiatives with high relevance to the industry.”

He added that the initiative builds on efforts to raise awareness and attract local talent through the “Special Topics in Insurance: Foundations of Bermuda’s International Re/Insurance Sector” lecture series, jointly hosted by Abir, Bermuda College and St. John’s University.

Attendance for the free, online series last year surpassed expectations.

One of this year’s interns is Jude Richardson, who is with Validus this summer. He is studying economics and music at Indiana University – Bloomington.

Jude said: “I find insurance fascinating as it represents an opportunity to explore the relationship between finance and a wide range of underlying social, environmental, and economic conditions. Not only is this intellectually satisfying, but also presents the opportunity to work with people from highly diverse academic and professional backgrounds.”

Courtney Bromby, an intern at Arch Capital, is studying for a Business Administration degree at Wilfrid Laurier University.

She said: “The original reason that I was interested in the industry is because of its significance here in Bermuda. Once I started as an intern, I realised how much everyone wants to help us learn and how many different and challenging career pathways you can choose from within one industry.”

Leah Smith, an intern at Chubb, who is studying actuarial science at the Cass Business School – City, University of London, said: “The insurance industry makes a major contribution towards the development of businesses, countries, and the world. This is something that intrigues me, encouraging me to pursue this field and utilize my interest in the numbers behind the operation.”

2021 Summer Interns at ABIR and Member Companies

Kace Wales – ABIR

Matthew Amaral – Aeolus

Gabriel Jones – Arch Capital

Courtney Bromby – Arch Capital

Naomi Proctor – Arch Capital

Indio Francis – Arch Capital

Ywione Darrell – Arch Capital

Angelica Wales – Arch Capital

Caroline Alexander – Ariel Re

Alison Hyland – Ariel Re

Saladin Beattie-Thompson – Ascot

Calvina Steede – Ascot

Christina Costello – Ascot

Jude Snelling – Ascot

Leah Smith – Chubb

Kaleb Phillips – Chubb

Sam Trott – Convex

Owenea Roberts – Fortitude Re

Mikaela O'Brien – Hamilton

McKenzie-Kohl Tuckett – Mosaic

Jesse Washington – Validus

Jude Richardson – Validus

Shu'ayb Nasir – Validus