The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (Abir) has sponsored three Bermuda College students to attend next week’s Bermuda Risk Summit.

Isaiah Cabral, Michae Skinner and Rickai Burrows are all enrolled on Special Topics in Insurance: Foundations of Bermuda’s International Re/Insurance Sector, a course being offered for a second year as a result of a partnership between Abir, the Bermuda College and St John’s University in New York.

All three are looking to pursue careers in the re/insurance industry and will seek opportunities to learn from the three days of panels and presentations, and to network with the many industry leaders attending the summit.

Abir is a diamond sponsor of the March 14-16 Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) conference, the industry’s first in-person event on the island since 2019.

John Huff, Abir’s president and CEO, said: “Abir is pleased to welcome these three Bermudian students to the Bermuda Risk Summit. This opportunity to learn directly from industry leaders and to meet the many professionals in attendance will be invaluable as they seek to embark upon their own re/insurance careers.”

“Abir and our member companies see a strong local talent base, as well as a diverse and inclusive workforce, as key to the sustainability of our industry.”

Isaiah Cabral, 20, majors in actuarial science and business administration with a focus on accountancy and intends to further his education at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. His ambition is to become an accountant and climb his way up to the C-suite.

“I'd like to make a lot of connections during the summit, meet people who have the career I want to have, and learn how they got to where they are,” Mr Cabral said.

“I have learnt a lot about Marc Grandisson [the CEO of Arch Capital and chairman of Abir]. He has an incredible story and he’s one of the people I’d love to meet at this event.

“What appeals to me about the insurance industry is that it helps people through hard times, providing them with the funds they need to fix their home, or pay the funeral costs when a family member dies. Bermuda is a speck on the map, but it’s one of the heavy hitters in re/insurance and we are fortunate to have this industry here.”

Michae Skinner, 20, who is studying business administration, will be graduating in May. She will then pursue a bachelor’s degree in accountancy, following the Mount Saint Vincent University programme at Bermuda College, after which she plans to work for the Certified Public Accountant designation.

“At the summit, I want to learn more about the insurance industry and hear from experienced professionals, to hear their background, how they got started, and relate that to my own journey,” Ms Skinner said.

“What I like about the insurance industry is that it’s so dynamic and there are many different career paths I can take. I could start out as an accountant, but then go on to get my CPCU [Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation] and become an underwriter.”

Rickai Burrows, 26, majoring in business administration, is in the process of applying to universities to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the same subject. He is aiming for a career in underwriting or compliance.

Of his chance to attend the summit, Mr. Burrows said: “I’d like to get a better grasp of the insurance industry, how it has responded to the pandemic and how it intends to innovate going forward. I know many senior people will attend and I’m hoping not only to network, but also to learn as much as I can by being in the same room as them.

“The insurance industry is important to the Bermuda economy and it promotes the growth and development of employees. The foundational re/insurance course at Bermuda College has been enlightening and changed my perspective, highlighting many career avenues that I might take in the industry.”

Mr Huff said Abir members are committed to developing their already substantial local talent base. The group has 1,332 full-time employees in Bermuda, of whom 920 — or nearly 70 per cent — are Bermudians, spouses of Bermudians or permanent resident certificate holders, according to the Abir Bermuda Economic Substance Survey 2020. Abir members offered scholarships and internships with a combined value of $1.3 million in 2019.