Hamilton, Bermuda (September 5, 2023) — The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) will celebrate three decades of leadership and partnership at the ABIR@30 Lunch Forum on Tuesday, September 26.

The 30th anniversary event will welcome Bermuda dignitaries, international industry leaders and special guests, and anyone is welcome to register. Guest speakers will include the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, the Premier of Bermuda, and the forum will conclude with an ABIR leaders’ panel discussion. 

ABIR was formed in 1993 after a wave of new reinsurers incorporated in Bermuda in response to a shortage of property insurance capacity caused by Hurricane Andrew, which left a trail of destruction in Florida in 1992. 

As Bermuda has evolved into a diversified global re/insurance hub over the past 30 years, ABIR has represented the public policy interests of Bermuda’s international insurers and reinsurers. Today, its 30 member companies do business in more than 150 countries, represent about 36% of the global reinsurance market and employ about 82,000 people worldwide, including more than 1,400 in Bermuda. 

Partnership has been a feature of the Bermuda re/insurance market’s success and is the main theme of the lunch forum. Topics covered by the guest speakers include: 

• Premier David Burt — “The Partnership between the Bermuda Government and Industry” 

• Mike Yaworsky, Florida Insurance Commissioner — “The Bermuda-Florida Partnership” 

• Hannah Gurga, CEO of the Association of British Insurers — “The Bermuda-UK Industry Partnership” 

• Justin O’Keefe, Chief Underwriting Officer of RenaissanceRe and Chair of the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) -- “The Bermuda-US Industry Partnership” 

• Short panel discussion of ABIR leaders “Past-Present-Future — Leading through Partnerships” moderated by Lloyd’s Fiona Luck

The event will take place at the Hamilton Princess in the Princess Ballroom. Doors will open at 12pm and the programme will start promptly at 12.30pm.

Attendees are invited to make a $50 per person donation to the Bermuda College Foundation, which works to secure fundraising support for Bermuda College. For the past three years, ABIR has partnered with Bermuda College and St. John’s University, New York, in supporting the “Special Topics in Insurance: Foundations of Bermuda’s International Re/Insurance Sector” course. 

Pina Albo, Chair of ABIR and CEO of Hamilton, said: “Through 30 years of advocacy, ABIR has helped to build the stellar reputation of the Bermuda re/insurance market as a global industry leader, as well as raising the profile of Bermuda as a top-tier international financial centre. 

“The Bermuda re/insurance market is built on partnerships — with our customers, the Government of Bermuda, Bermuda Monetary Authority, international supervisors and industry partners. We are pleased that Premier Burt and our international industry speakers have agreed to join us to celebrate those partnerships which continue to underpin Bermuda’s status as the world’s risk capital.” 

John Huff, President and CEO of ABIR, said: “Nearly 70 per cent of ABIR members’ Bermuda-based employees are Bermudians, spouses of Bermudians or Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders. Bermudians have played an integral part in the growth and success of the industry. Our partnership with Bermuda College reflects ABIR’s commitment to further strengthen our pipeline of local talent. We are proud to support Bermuda College and the education of the Bermudian leaders of the future.”

To register for the ABIR@30 Lunch Forum, click on this link or go to www.abir.bm

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About ABIR: The Association of Bermuda Insurers & Reinsurers (ABIR), which represents Bermuda’s major property and casualty insurers and reinsurers doing business in 150 countries, was founded in 1993. For three decades, the Bermuda market’s risk-bearing capacity has played a key role in enabling insurance to be accessible and affordable, to the benefit of consumers around the world. Bermuda is an internationally recognized center of global expertise on underwriting for catastrophe, climate, cyber, mortgage & credit risk transfer products, along with other specialty insurance and reinsurance. For more information, please visit: www.abir.bm. Follow us on Twitter @ABIR_Bermuda.