Influential Women in Hamilton: Carrie Kelley
What originally attracted me to the industry is that it is a relationship-driven business, Carrie Kelley, Price Forbes.
A three-month secondment 17 years ago first brought Kelley to Bermuda. Then from being a start-up’s first hire in Hamilton, she’s gone to head of Price Forbes. Quite some journey!
“It’s given me the opportunity to find my own voice and bring a different perspective to the table.”
Carrie Kelley, chief executive officer at Price Forbes (Bermuda), is a thoroughly deserving nominee, bringing more than two decades of expertise in the insurance industry, with a career that spans both broking and underwriting across the Bermuda and US markets.
Before joining Price Forbes Bermuda in 2019, Kelley held senior positions at several prominent firms, including Barbican Underwriting Bermuda, Bowring Marsh Bermuda, Guy Carpenter Bermuda, and Marsh USA.
Kelley describes Bermuda as exceptionally welcoming and business-friendly, highlighting its unique blend of professional opportunity and quality of life.
Would you give us a snapshot of your career to date?
I have been in the industry for 23 years, mostly as a broker. I started my career with Marsh USA in Chicago, and my boss at the time asked me if I’d want to go to Bermuda on a three-month secondment. That was 17 years ago. In 2019, I made the decision to take on a new challenge with a start-up broker. I was the first employee with Ed Bermuda when it launched in 2019, and because property was my background, that was the first flag we put in the ground. From there, we've expanded into all lines of insurance and are now the leading independent broker on the island.
What first attracted you to reinsurance?
It wasn’t in my educational background; I was a business major in finance and economics and took an introduction to risk management and insurance course taught by the head of office for Marsh Cleveland. Through this, I discovered their graduate training programme, applied and was accepted. I was lucky enough to have several offers coming out of university, but Insurance felt like a natural fit being a relationship-driven and people-orientated business, and I also really liked the culture of the company.
Do you have any ambitions?
I've just achieved a great ambition, which was to become CEO of Price Forbes Bermuda, and I’m extremely honoured to have this position. I am now focused on being the best I can in this role and on taking our business to its next stage of growth.
Do you feel the reinsurance industry has made progress in terms of diversity and inclusion since you've entered it?
Certainly. There’s always opportunity for improvement, but I do feel we’ve come a long way in the past 20 years. When I first came down to Bermuda 17 years ago, it was difficult to find a lot of women, especially in senior positions, and if you look around the industry now, across both insurance and reinsurance, that's completely changed. It’s nice to see that transformation and to be a part of it.
Do you feel the reinsurance sector is especially attuned to diversity and inclusion?
The industry is doing better than it has historically, but diversity and inclusion should be things that are constantly evolving and improving.
Is there anything that you would improve or change in the industry?
I would do a better job of marketing the industry to university-aged people, to get them interested in studying insurance or going into the industry. Bermuda is a bit unusual in that if you grow up here, it's almost in your DNA to know that insurance exists as a potential career path, but generally, we could do a much better job of advertising the industry to the younger generation to attract more of the right talent, because we do have an ageing population within insurance.
Have you yourself encountered any challenges relating to diversity and inclusion?
It has been very normal throughout my entire career to be the only woman or one of the few women present in a room, whether that's a boardroom meeting, a client meeting or a presentation. It’s given me the opportunity to find my own voice and bring a different perspective to the table, which I have viewed as an opportunity.
Would you encourage other women to join the sector?
Certainly, I would. There are tremendous opportunities for growth, especially here in Bermuda, and you are afforded a great work-life balance. If you choose to have a family, it's a very rewarding career that you can build around family life.
Why would you say this is a great industry to work in?
What originally attracted me to the industry is that it is a relationship-driven business. We often talk about technology and AI and how we can become more effective as brokers and underwriters and conduct business more efficiently, but no matter how many advancements we make in that space, deals will always be done on the back of relationships and reputation, and that's never going to go away.
Is there anything else about Bermuda that makes it a great place to work in?
It's a beautiful place to work and live, so that's number one. It's also a very family-oriented place where people are extremely welcoming, which is important for those of us that aren't from here. The island offers a great work-life balance, which is important in today’s busy lifestyle.
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