Women In Reinsurance (WiRe) Bermuda Announces Woman of the Year 2024 – Natasha Scotland Courcy
Hamilton, Bermuda (9 March 2024) – Women in Reinsurance (WiRe), the professional organization for women working in Bermuda’s reinsurance sector, hosted its second annual Women’s Day Gala yesterday, Friday, March 8th, 2024.
Attendees at the event included Rena Lalgie, the Governor; Senator Arianna Hodgson, Junior Minister of Labour, Finance and Health, and Peta White, Chairwoman of the WiRe Board and President of Vantage Risk Ltd.
It was a sold-out event with corporate representation from twenty-six (26) reinsurance companies and related service providers. Attendees included a wide range of industry personnel, welcoming everyone from industry legends and c-suite executives to WiRe members just embarking on their career journey.
The keynote address was offered by, Karen Clark, CEO and Co-Founder of Karen Clark & Co. Known as the inventor of the catastrophe model, technology that revolutionized the way global reinsurers assessed natural peril exposures, Clark continues to drive innovation in catastrophe modelling technology. She entertained the audience with early experiences of being the only woman in the room, promoting new technology to the then all-male cohorts of Lloyds’ underwriters and brokers. She offered encouragement to novice professionals, telling them to dedicate themselves to working hard and be prepared for unexpected opportunities, in her case – a hurricane. Clark also challenged the room of reinsurance professionals to show leadership by sharing expertise to help society navigate the response to the realities of climate change.
The Women’s Day Gala was developed to highlight the significant contributions of women in Bermuda’s world class reinsurance industry. This year, Natasha Scotland Courcy, CEO and General Counsel of Athene Life Re Bermuda was presented with the first ever WiRe Woman of the Year Award.
Courcy was appointed to her role as CEO after a long tenure with Athene Life Re, having joined the company as Associate Counsel in 2012. She also serves as Chair of the Bermuda International Long-Term Insurers and Reinsurers (BILTIR). Courcy is a well-known advocate for the life reinsurance sector in Bermuda. She regularly contributes to industry panels, bringing awareness to the sector’s successful track record and advocating for proactive regulation to ensure life reinsurance continues as a key feature of the Bermuda international business landscape.
Under Courcy’s leadership, Athene has become a notable philanthropic partner for a range of charitable organizations, including the Bermuda Cricket Board, Bermuda National Athletics Association, Hope Homes, Habitat for Humanity, the Coalition for the Protection of Children and more. In 2023, Courcy spearheaded the first Life Career Expo. Hosted by Athene Life Re, the event exposed almost 300 attendees to the high-quality career opportunities available in Bermuda’s life reinsurance sector.
In her thank you remarks, Courcy paid homage to her legacy as a woman of the African Diaspora working to gain access to opportunities that would have been denied to previous generations. Referring to both the sacrifices and encouragement of those who came before her Courcy said, “I may be one, but I stand here 10,000 strong.”
WiRe congratulates Natasha Scotland Courcy and thanks her for her inspiring leadership.
The Gala was punctuated by a range of local artists including Rewind: Sarah & TonyB, Kinetix Natural Movement, Jackson’s School of Dance and DJ Rai. WiRe Chairwoman, Peta White, closed the formal line up with a celebratory champagne toast sponsored by Conduit Re.
A special thank you to WiRe’s Corporate Partners: Arch, Aon, Chubb, Martello Re, PartnerRe, Vantage Risk, Ariel Re, Guy Carpenter and MS Reinsurance.
WiRe also wishes to take the opportunity to congratulate Tammy Richardson, Bermuda’s Woman of the Year 2024.
Information about WiRe and a membership application can be found at www.wirebermuda.com.
ABOUT WiRe
WiRe was formed in 2008 by a group of senior professional women in the reinsurance industry to encourage the development and promotion of women within the marketplace. Our membership includes women from almost every reinsurance and brokerage firm in Bermuda as well as from local regulatory bodies, associations, and service providers.
Media contact: Leone Charles
E: wire@wirebermuda.com | +1 441 534-6424