ABIR Course & Lecture Series

Bermuda College Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs,
Dr. Curtis-Tweed

President & CEO of ABIR,
Mr. John Huff
Whether you’ve been familiar with the industry for years, have a rudimentary understanding of it, or are a curious novice, the world of insurance is an exciting and dynamic industry to consider as a career. It continues to evolve, and faces a demanding future despite its operational and financial resilience. With so many local and international insurance and reinsurance companies in Bermuda, Bermuda College is proud to partner with St. John’s University, and the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) to offer this uniquely relevant and timely online series of lectures to the local community.
Special Topics in Insurance (INS 2298): Foundations of Bermuda’s International Re/Insurance Sector’, will trace the evolution of the insurance concept from its humble beginnings as the headquarters for American International Company in 1948, to a major global player of risk management. It will examine such topics as:
- the economic contribution and role of re/insurance to Bermuda’s economy
- climate risk and Bermuda’s leading position of providing natural catastrophe reinsurance
- the growing legacy run-off industry in Bermuda as a capital management tool
- life & annuities
- Bermuda’s world-class regulatory regime.
What is so special about this course?
This course is foundational to an internship programme sponsored by ABIR which provides eligible students with scholarships to complete their bachelor’s degree at St John’s University.
What is the format of the course?
The course will be remote/online using Zoom and Moodle.
Who is teaching the course?
The course will be facilitated by Craig Simmons, senior lecturer at Bermuda College and include lecturers from St. John’s University and ABIR field experts, key to the insurance/reinsurance industry.
Mr. Grandisson and Minister Dickinson will present at the Opening Session.
Minister of Finance, The Hon. Curtis Dickinson, JP, MP
Marc Grandisson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Arch Capital Group Ltd. and Chair, Association of Bermuda Insurers & Reinsurers (ABIR)
Director of Policy and Regulation, Corporate Secretary and Data Privacy Officer at ABIR, Suzanne Williams-Charles will be moderating the "Emerging Trends' session.
Director, Insurance Supervision at the Bermuda Monetary Authority, Gerald Gakundi will be moderating the Regulatory session.
Country Leader of Bermuda AIG, Cathy Duffy
Dan Malloy CEO, Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.
Janice R. Weidenborner, Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel and Secretary, Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.
Chantal Cardinez, CEO of Hannover Re (Bermuda) Ltd., Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, and Board member of the Bermuda International Long Term Insurers and Reinsurers Association
Vicki Wells, is the Assistant Director of the Ellen Thrower Center for Career Services at St. John’s University, Greenberg School of Risk Management.
Jody Queen-Hubert, Director of Career Services for the St. John's University Greenberg School of Risk Management in New York City
Lisa Robinson, Head of People and Operations at Convex Re Limited (Bermuda).
Grainne Richmond, Vice President at Dyna Management Services Ltd. (An SRS Group Company)
Timae Flood, Assistant Director, Insurance Supervision, Bermuda Monetary Authority
LaVonne Smith, Senior Vice President, ILS Capital Management
James Bracken, CEO, Fortitude Re
Jeff Burman, General Counsel, Fortitude Re
Ruth Maringi, General Insurance Risk Officer, Fortitude Re
Allison Pedro, Director of Financial Reporting, Fortitude Re
John Fielding, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Global Government and Industry Affairs at Chubb
Devin Page is the Head of Specialty for Hiscox Re & ILS
Angela A'Zary, Senior Vice President, Client Risk Analytics, RenaissanceRe
Mark J. Browne, PhD, Robert Clements Distinguished Chair in Risk Management and Insurance, Chair of the Faculty of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science Greenberg School of Risk Management, Tobin College of Business, St. John's University
Ivy Kusinga, Chief Culture Officer at Chubb
Judy Gonsalves, Division President, Chubb Bermuda
St. John's University Alumni Panel:
- Anson Aguiar (Moderator): 2004 Bermuda College Graduate; 2006 St. John's University Graduate; Chief Underwriting Officer, Pallas Reinsurance Company Ltd.
- Dejanee Hill-Edwards: 2016 Bermuda College Graduate; 2019 SJU Graduate; Underwriting Assistant at Arch Re
- Carla Greaves: 1992 SJU Graduate; SVP Chief Excess Casualty Underwriter at AXA XL
- Amon Wedderburn: 2020 SJU Graduate; Underwriting Trainee at Convex Re
- Jahvon Washington: 2010 SJU Graduate; Underwriting Assistant at Fidelis Insurance
- Nakia Foggo: 2011 SJU Graduate; Project Manager at Bermuda Health Council (prior ~9 yrs at Argus)
- Magic Boyles: 2011 Bermuda College Graduate; 2015 SJU Graduate; Insurance Assistant at Gloucester Insurance Ltd.
What will I need to take the course?
You will need access to a computer with a camera and microphone.
When is the course?
The 14-week course will be held every Monday from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. beginning January 18. Lectures will be held between 6:30 and 8 p.m.
How do I register for the course?
Registration is now open! To register for the credit course, current students may register online or, if you are new to the college, please fill out the registration form and return it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Scholarships in the amount of $465 for this course are available for Bermuda College students only.
Do I have to be a Bermuda College student to attend the lecture?
No, the lectures are open and free of charge to the community courtesy of ABIR.
What if I don’t want to take the course for credit but am interested in attending some of the lectures?
Sign up just for the lecture(s) of your choice - click here to register. The 90-minute lectures will start at 6:30 p.m. Remember you will not receive credit for only attending the lectures online.
When does registration close?
Registration to attend the lectures for college credit has closed. You can still attend a lecture for free. Registration for lectures closes the Thursday preceding that Monday’s lecture.
For further Information?
For more information contact Paul Hardtman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Course Schedule
Class 1: January 18
Lecture 1: Socio-economic impact of international business on Bermuda
Welcome by ABIR Chair, Marc Grandisson, CEO of Arch
Finance Minister Curtis Dickinson
Craig Simmons, Bermuda College
Resources:
ABIR Fact Sheet
GDP Release, Department of Statistics
Employment Briefs, Department of Statistics
Balance of Payments & International Investment Position, Department of Statistics
Class 2: January 25
Lecture 2: The evolution of international insurance in Bermuda
Cathy Duffy, Country Leader of Bermuda AIG
Class 3: February 1
Lecture 3: International Re/insurance in Bermuda
Dan Malloy CEO, Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.
Janice R. Weidenborner, Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel and Secretary, Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.
Alex Kronenberg, Senior Vice President, Sirius International
Class 4: February 8
Lecture 4: Life insurance and annuities
Chantal Cardinez, Bermuda CEO of Hannover Re
Class 5: February 15
Lecture 5: Insurance Careers, Utilizing LinkedIn and other Social Media
Jodi Queen-Hubert, Director of Career Services for the St. John's University Greenberg School of Risk Management in New York City
Vicki Wells, Assistant Director of the Ellen Thrower Center for Career Services at St. John’s University, Greenberg School of Risk Management.
Lisa Robinson, Head of People and Operations at Convex Re Limited (Bermuda)
Class 6: February 22
Lecture 6: Captive Insurance
Grainne Richmond, Senior Vice President, SRS Bermuda and President, Bermuda Insurance Management Association
Timae Flood, Assistant Director, Insurance Supervision, Bermuda Monetary Authority
Class 7: March 1
Alumni Panel: Benefits of studying at St. John’s University
Anson Aguiar, Chief Underwriting Officer, Pallas Reinsurance Company Ltd.
Mid-semester break: March 8
Class 8: March 15
Lecture 7: Collateralised reinsurance
LaVonne Smith, Senior Vice President, ILS Capital Management
Class 9: March 22
Lecture 8: Runoff Insurance
James Bracken, CEO, Fortitude Re
Jeff Burman, General Counsel, Fortitude Re
Ruth Maringi, General Insurance Risk Officer, Fortitude Re
Allison Pedro, Director of Financial Reporting, Fortitude Re
Class 10: March 29
Lecture 9: The Role of Regulation in Insurance:
Bermuda Monetary Authority (Authority or BMA).
Gerald Gakundi, Director, Supervision (Insurance), BMA.
• Gerald will present on the role of regulation in insurance, including cooperation between regulators and the market, the crossroad of regulation and innovation, and more!
Class 11: April 5
Lecture 10: Reinsurance and Climate Change
Craig Tillman, President, RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences
Angela A'Zary, Senior Vice President, Client Risk Analytics, RenaissanceRe
Class 12: April 12
Lecture 11: Hot Topics in Insurance—Cyber Risk and the insurance/reinsurance treatment of future pandemic risk
• Suzanne Williams-Charles, Director of Policy and Regulation, Corporate Secretary and Data Privacy Officer, ABIR
• John Fielding is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Global Government and Industry Affairs at Chubb
• Devin Page is the Head of Specialty for Hiscox Re & ILS who works with brokers and clients to create treaty reinsurance solutions for their unique and complex needsBIR
Class 13: April 19
Lecture 12: Issues in Underwriting: Adverse Selection and Market Cycles.
Mark J. Browne, PhD, Robert Clements Distinguished Chair in Risk Management and Insurance, Chair of the Faculty of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science
Greenberg School of Risk Management, Tobin College of Business, St. John's University
Class 14: April 26
Panel discussion: Diversity & Inclusion in Re/insurance
Ivy Kusinga, Chief Culture and Talent Officer, Chubb
Judy Gonsalves, Vice President, Chubb Group, Division President, Chubb Bermuda