College appoints insurance leader to build sector’s first formal academic pathway

Bermuda College has appointed a senior insurance executive to help develop what is intended to become Bermuda’s first formal academic pathway in insurance.

The initiative will build on the College’s existing associate programme in business and strengthen routes into one of the island’s most important industries.

In the longer term, the programme is expected to attract broad industry backing and financial commitment to expand the College. It could also bring in students from overseas.

Cathy Duffy will join Bermuda College in August 2026 as Chair and Professor of the Practice (Insurance).

Ms Duffy brings more than 30 years of insurance experience to the role. She served as AIG’s Bermuda country leader from 2018 to 2024 and previously held senior positions at XL Bermuda Ltd and Torus Insurance.

Her CV also lists board and advisory service with Clear Star Re, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Bermuda College’s Insurance Advisory Committee. She is the author of Held Captive: A History of International Insurance in Bermuda, the first comprehensive book on the development of Bermuda’s insurance industry.

In her new role, Ms Duffy will oversee curriculum design, academic delivery and industry partnerships for what she describes as the island’s first applied insurance programme.

Currently, Bermuda College offers two insurance classes as part of a broader business associate degree offering, and Ms Duffy said her immediate focus would be on teaching those courses while helping to shape a fuller insurance pathway at the College.

The longer-term aim is to create an associate degree in insurance, allowing students either to move directly into the workforce after graduating from Bermuda College or to continue their studies at universities overseas.

Ms Duffy also spoke of a wider ambition for a future four-year degree pathway in Bermuda.

She said Bermuda has never had a formal insurance programme, structured as an academic programme, which could lead students into further university study.

She added that such a pathway could widen access for students unable to go overseas straight away.

“This is an important opportunity for Bermuda to build on one of its greatest strengths. A formal insurance pathway can help more Bermudians into the (re)insurance industry, create a clearer bridge into further study and, over time, attract overseas students to Bermuda.

“I see education as another pillar that can support Bermuda’s global insurance market. Industry involvement will be essential, whether through internships, guest speakers, mentoring or executive education.

“College President Dr David Sam saw that opportunity quickly, and his vision helped bring this idea into focus.”

Dr Sam said the new programme was a milestone in the history of the College, drawing it closer to the island’s largest business sector, which it was now better placed to support.

“We are pleased to welcome Ms Duffy to Bermuda College. Her experience at the highest levels of the international market, and her commitment to mentorship and leadership development, make her exceptionally well placed to help shape this new direction,” said Dr Sam.

He added: “Bermuda College wants to be at the centre of helping Bermudians into the (re)insurance industry and at the centre of supporting the industry itself.

“This appointment supports that goal and also strengthens our long-term ambition to position the College as a recognised centre for reinsurance education with relevance well beyond Bermuda.”