Leading the way

Bermuda:Re+ILS undertook its first Women in Hamilton special reports six years ago. Since then, re/insurers in Bermuda have worked hard to ensure women are better represented in senior positions and on boards.

Things are clearly moving in the right direction, but it is a work in progress. As Kirsten Beasley, head of healthcare broking for North America at Willis Towers Watson, says: “Bermuda does not suffer from a shortage of professional women. Nor do we lack women with robust leadership skills and capability. What we lack is a meaningful number of women in leadership roles, particularly women of colour.”

Beasley is confident, however, that women will continue to see more opportunities at the highest levels of the industry.

“These gaps are being increasingly recognised by industry leaders who are acknowledging the need to take decisive action to bring about the shifts necessary to create equity at the leadership level,” she says.

The industry is already reaping the benefits of its efforts to promote diversity among its senior management, and will see even more as these efforts continue. Women bring different perspectives to management, and more diverse teams have been shown to be better at solving problems and setting strategy.

The 10 women profiled here are just some of an increasing number with influential roles, who are helping to set the agenda and steer Bermuda’s re/insurance community into the future. You can read interviews with all of them by clicking on the links.