Keeping the show on the road

Any office-based employee will have experience of needing the support of their facilities and IT teams at one time or another. These crucial teams have been even more vital during the pandemic as employees struggled to adapt to the unusual circumstances of remote work and the tricky return to the office as the economy reopened.

RenaissanceRe has singled out its entire facilities and office administration and IT teams for recognition as unsung heroes.

RenRe’s facilities team provides services to all its staff stakeholders, encompassing hurricane preparation, safety and health, building systems maintenance, government licences and regulations renewals and renovations. It includes reception and guest services and aims to create the most welcoming experience for its clients and brokers when they visit the office in Bermuda.

It works to ensure staff feel comfortable and safe at work, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to help them perform.

The team is also engaged in reducing the company’s carbon footprint by encouraging the use of energy efficient products and the reduction of waste.

The team networks with other RenRe facility teams globally, exchanging resources, ideas and knowledge.

Bob Qutub, executive vice president and chief financial officer at RenaissanceRe, says: “The Bermuda facilities team plays an important role at RenaissanceRe, keeping us up and running every day of the year.

“They make sure our people have everything they need to be successful at work, that our clients have a first-class experience when visiting our location, and that our office and staff are safe in hurricanes.”

Qutub emphasises the role the facilities team has played in the months of the COVID-19 pandemic, “by ensuring a safe environment as we transitioned back into the office post-pandemic. Our entire Bermuda team appreciates all they do for us”.

Valerie Byron, a member of the facilities team, says: “Every day is a new day, a new opportunity and a new chance. After almost 20 years I have found that the key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”

Denise Nanette, also on the team, adds: “I enjoy working with other people towards a common goal. The passion I bring as an office assistant creates work satisfaction for me and creates value for my teammates as well.

“I firmly believe if you choose a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life; and that pleasure in your job puts perfection in your work.”

The IT team manages the hardware, software, and networking tools which support RenRe’s business systems, ensuring staff can execute their jobs successfully. It works closely with the firm’s IT teams around the world to ensure the worldwide platforms operate in a secure enterprise environment and that staff can communicate effectively across locations.

RenRe describes its IT team as a group of “problem-solvers who remain flexible and focused whatever the challenge, so we can deliver the very best service to the RenaissanceRe franchise and external partners no matter what challenges we face”.

The team implements, tests and supports business continuity efforts, allowing staff to work remotely and enable the business to operate with limited impact, which has been so important in 2020 and 2021.

IT staff highlight the variety of people they work with as a key source of job satisfaction. “Everyone is different and it is important to treat them that way,” says one member of the team. “Some want to get straight to the point and just need steps one, two and three, while others require stories and metaphors to understand certain technical problems.”

Having the opportunity to work with the latest technology platforms is also a key appeal for these techie types, as well as the spirit of collaboration that exists within the team.

Team members highlight the need to feel passionate about helping people, communication skills and patience as key characteristics people need to thrive on the IT team, along with the requisite technical know-how, of course.

“Some days things just don’t go your way, and what you thought would be a five-minute fix may take five hours or even days, but with patience, persistence, and of course Google you can get a resolution in the end,” says one team member.

Qutub concludes: “Our dedicated IT team were instrumental in helping us navigate the unprecedented challenges we faced during the pandemic in 2020–21. They delivered first-class service and were up to every challenge to ensure we stayed connected and coordinated, both internally and with our partners around the world.

“On behalf of everyone at RenRe, we are delighted that our IT team is being recognised for their numerous contributions to our success.”