Rising Star: Brian Darling
Brian Darling, born and raised in Bermuda, attended Warwick Academy before making the leap across the Atlantic, where at the University of Warwick he studied computer science. He completed internships in the London investment banking sector with Barclays and in reinsurance with Ariel Re, eventually deciding to accept an offer to work at Ariel Re in its London office as an analyst and software developer in portfolio management.
After more than five years working overseas, he recently returned home to Bermuda with Ariel Re to take on a larger role within the portfolio team as AVP, team lead – portfolio management. His responsibilities include developing software for the firm’s in-house portfolio system, liaising across departments to meet underwriting, capital and risk management needs and aligning technological capabilities with the strategic goals of the organisation.
Can you start by telling us what inspired your career?
I have long had a passion for numbers and puzzles, mathematics always being my favourite subject growing up. This curiosity led to a degree in computer science, where I was able to blend maths and technology to build interesting tools and systems.
After completing software development internships in a few different industries, I wound up in reinsurance somewhat by fluke while studying for my degree. I was surprised by the range of interesting problems that I was given the opportunity to work on. I was inspired by the high-performing, passionate people at Ariel Re who created the perfect environment within which to learn and grow, which is what solidified my decision to pursue a career within the industry.
What elements of your career do you enjoy most and why?
At its core, software development is all about solving problems through the means of technology. I love a challenge, and get the most satisfaction from creating solutions to complex problems – I’m fortunate to be in a role within an organisation that gives me the freedom to be creative in tackling such challenges daily. I really enjoy being able to support and collaborate with my colleagues, helping them streamline processes and bring innovative ideas to reality.
Can you share an example of a challenge you overcame that significantly shaped your career trajectory?
The first year of university was certainly difficult – it was my first time away from Bermuda for a significant period, and I was thrown into a degree where I felt vastly inferior to my peers.
Imposter syndrome set in, and I struggled early on with coursework where I lacked some of the advanced mathematical background the rest of my cohort had – on multiple occasions I thought that I might want to switch my degree (perhaps geography, chemistry, sports science?).
Being stubbornly determined, I decided I’d just have to work harder than those around me to achieve my goals. When selected for my first internship in London later that year, I proved to myself that I could compete on an international level and slowly the feeling of inferiority began to subside, setting me up for what so far has been a successful career putting into practice the theory learned at university.
What are your career ambitions? And how will you work to achieve them?
10 years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined myself in my current role, let alone the industry, so I can’t pretend to know where I’ll want to be in another 10.
However, I’m very ambitious and always strive to perform to the best of my abilities with the anticipation this will help propel me to the top of any career path I pursue. Whether that’s a C-suite role within the industry or any one of numerous other options, I don’t know, but I’ll continue to relentlessly say yes to whatever opportunities present themselves and seek to get involved in as many different areas as possible.
How do you stay motivated and continue to learn in such a dynamic sector?
Being surrounded by highly intelligent and passionate individuals is a huge motivator – I’m continuously learning and developing at a rate that doesn’t allow for stagnation to take place.
The dynamic nature of both the reinsurance industry and technology more broadly, with new problems arising regularly, results in an environment where I am consistently having to apply novel thinking to build practical solutions – this helps keep me highly engaged and excited for the future.
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