WiRe names Scotland Courcy Woman of the Year

Natasha Scotland Courcy, one of the major leaders of Bermuda’s life re/insurance sector, has been named Women in Reinsurance’s Woman of the Year.

Scotland Courcy, the chair of Bermuda International Long-Term Insurers and Reinsurers and the chief executive officer of Athene Life Re, was given the award at Friday night’s WiRe Women’s Day Gala, which was held to highlight the significant contributions in Bermuda’s re/insurance industry.

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.

The Women’s Day Gala was developed to highlight the significant contributions of women in Bermuda’s world class reinsurance industry. 

Scotland 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 said Scotland 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 Scotland Courcy’s leadership, Athene has become a notable philanthropic partner for a range of charitable organisations, 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.

The keynote address was delivered by Karen Clark, CEO and co-founder of Karen Clark & Company. 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 Lloyd’s 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.

WiRe Chairwoman, Peta White, closed the formal line up with a celebratory champagne toast sponsored by Conduit Re.

WiRe’s Corporate Partners are Arch, Aon, Chubb, Martello Re, PartnerRe, Vantage Risk, Ariel Re, Guy Carpenter and MS Reinsurance.

WiRe also  congratulated Tammy Richardson, Bermuda’s Woman of the Year 2024.

Information about WiRe and a membership application can be found at www.wirebermuda.com.