RenaissanceRe CEO Neill Currie said his award as the Bermuda Insurance Institute’s (BII) Industry Leader of the Year was a validation of his company’s track record of success more than his own.Mr Currie was one of four individuals to be honoured by the BII at its 13th annual awards dinner at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, along with former AIG legal counsel Michael Murphy, who took the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Gavin Bishop of Validus Re and Vivienne Moniz of XL Group, who were joint recipients of the Young Industry Leader of the Year award.Mr Currie said: “While I am honoured to have been chosen, I believe the award is more a statement about RenaissanceRe’s achievements than my own, confirming the organisation as a leader among Bermudian re/insurers.“I wish to express my appreciation to the BII, not only for this award but for its contributions towards making Bermuda’s insurance market a premier centre for business.”The BII said Mr Currie had shown “exceptional leadership and service as an ambassador for both reinsurance and the Bermuda market”.Mr Currie, a co-founder of RenRe in 1993 who took the CEO role in 2005, “successfully stewarded the company through a period of intense catastrophic activity and financial market volatility, and recently led a strategic initiative that refocused RenaissanceRe where it excels: underwriting low-frequency, high-severity risks”, the BII stated.Mr Currie represents the industry on a number of international boards, including the CEO Forum of the Financial Services Roundtable, the Geneva Association, and the Global Reinsurance Forum. He was also chairman of the 2010 World Insurance Forum in Bermuda.“Both Neill and RenaissanceRe are established good corporate citizens of Bermuda, and have shown their commitment by employing and developing Bermudian talent, underwriting educational initiatives like the company’s undergraduate scholarship, and supporting training through industry groups like the BII and RAA,” the BII added.Mr Murphy won recognition for having played a major role in the establishment of the Bermuda insurance industry.“Since 1970, Michael has been a pivotal thought leader who has offered his skills pro-bono to the Bermuda community,” the BII stated.“His ideas, lobbying and endless hard work helped establish some of the critical movements and decisions that led to the success of the Bermuda market, including the development of the captive insurance market in the 1970s, the creation of Bermuda’s first insurance law in 1978, the ratification of the tax treaty with the US which led to the open exchange of financial information in the mid-1980s, the streamlining of US domestic tax legislation to minimise the number of separate US taxes being applied to American-owned foreign insurers that might be construed as doing business in the US, and the ongoing defence against US cross-border taxation.”In 1982 he formed and managed the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR), and operated as CEO until 2005.“Today, he continues to offer his pro bono services to the Bermuda Government, continue his significant work on behalf of Bermuda,” the BII added.The Young Industry Leader award recognises an individual under the age of 35 who, over the previous year, has made a significant contribution to his or her own organisation, achievement in both their career and in the wider community, and development of talent.Mr Bishop is vice-president and controller of Validus Re, and heads the Finance and Operations Departments, overseeing a team of 20 people.A Chartered Accountant who joined the insurance industry in Bermuda in 2003, he completed his CPCU designation in 2006, and through continuous study has completed upwards of 12 additional insurance designations, including the ACII in 2010.He is a former president of the Bermuda Chapter of the CPCU Society.Ms Moniz is an excess liability underwriter for XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd. She is responsible for a portfolio of casualty insurance business.She chaired the Bermuda Healthcare Market Annual Education Lunch for the 2009 ASHRM Conference in Denver, Colorado and participated on the 2010 committee. She has been involved with BSHRM for several years.She is an active member of the Bermuda Chapter of the CPCU Society after attaining the CPCU and Associate in claims designations.She has also volunteered for the Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation, Meals on Wheels and served as a mentor with YouthNet.BII president John Wight said the recipients had earned their awards through their vision, commitment and strong leadership. They had all shown intense pride in Bermuda and had influenced its success as an insurance centre “in a significant and meaningful way”.Last year, 105 insurance industry employees achieved 115 designations in 16 areas of insurance through the BII, which was a testament to the 41-year-old organisation’s continuing value to local and international insurers.Among the attendees on Saturday were Premier Paula Cox, US Consul General Grace Shelton and a strong turnout from the Island’s insurance industry.