The Caribbean Insurance Conference attracts a diverse participants’ profile of more than 500 delegates in the Caribbean insurance and reinsurance industry. Attendees include mid to senior level executives with life, health, and/or P&C insurance responsibilities throughout the Caribbean region, as well as top regional managers and producers servicing these markets.
Highlights
The Annual Caribbean Insurance Conference, renowned as the premier regional conference for professionals in the insurance industry, provides an information sharing and collaborative forum for senior Caribbean insurance executives as well as regulatory authorities, reinsurers, third party administrators, technology service providers, brokers and other special groups with interest in the Caribbean insurance industry.
Please check back for more details on the event program, sponsorship opportunities, and how to register!
10:30 am - 11:45 am: IFRS17 – The Shifting Landscape of Insurance
Marcus Bosland
Resident Actuary, Colina Insurance Limited
Marcus Bosland has been the resident actuary of Colina Insurance Limited, the largest life and health insurer in The Bahamas, since December 2007. Prior to joining Colina, he was the Assistant Vice President – Actuarial and Appointed Actuary of Guardian Life of the Caribbean in Trinidad & Tobago. A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, Marcus graduated with distinction from the University of Waterloo with a joint honours degree in Actuarial Science/Economics. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School. Marcus is the Immediate Past President of the Caribbean Actuarial Association and serves on the National Health Insurance committee of the Bahamas Insurance Association. Marcus currently coaches two football teams, an under-11 team, and a men’s team. He also serves on the Board of a parent-run swim club.
11:45 am - 12:30 pm: Using Technology to Promote Wellness
Susan Boyea, BSc (Hons), MBA, FLMI, BRMP
Vice President, Business Relationship Management, Sagicor Life Inc. Barbados
Mrs. Susan Boyea has held the position of Vice President of Business Relationship Management, in a strategic capacity, since 2016. She currently leads the strategic relationship between Technology and the Business Operation of Sagicor. Mrs. Boyea has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. She brings a wealth of expertise in Insurance Operations, particularly in Information Technology Governance and Operations, and in Shared Services Operations. She was instrumental in establishing the shared services technology division of Sagicor Financial Corporation which she led for over 12 years. In addition to her executive career, Susan serves on the Business Relationship Management Institute council and she served on the Technology Council of LOMA – one of the largest trade associations in the US Insurance industry. Susan graduated with BSc (Upper Second Class) Honors in Mathematics and Computer Science and has attained a Master Business Administration with Distinction from the University of the West Indies - Cave Hill campus. She was awarded the Fellow of Life Management Institute and recently attained the Business Relationship Management Professional designation from the BRM institute. Susan is also trained in negotiation strategies from the Wharton School of Business and has certifications in Project Management and Governance of Information Technology.
10:30 am - 11:15 am: Artificial Intelligence Transforming the Insurance Landscape
Leslie Lee Fook
Director - AI, Analytics & Automation , INCUS Services Limited
Leslie Lee Fook is a name of legend in the business world. His revolutionary digital transformation strategies and expert knowledge are unrivalled, making him one of the most sought-after figures on Caribbean shores.
His career spans over twenty years with experience in Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, and Artificial Intelligence. Typically serving enterprise and government customers, he aspires to create a globally competitive region using data which positively impacts every Caribbean life! He was also named as an honorary speaker at The CTU’s Prime Minister’s Summit which amassed over 100 leaders from across the region.
Leslie believes that we all someday will become data citizens. He hopes to tap into the deeply creative nature of our Caribbean people so we can foster development in a community that’s highly sought after for its talent and expertise, transforming us into the “India for Analytics.”
Managing Director, Department of Life and Health, Latin America
Carmelo Galante is the Managing Director of the Department of Life and Health for Latin America. He began his career in the reinsurance sector in 1996. In 1999, he joined the Life and Health Department of Gen Re in Cologne, Germany, where he was responsible for the countries of the Southern Cone. In 2000 he spent 6 months in Buenos Aires supporting the local Gen Re team. In 2004 in Cologne, he worked in the Department of Corporate Services Underwriting responsible for the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and No-Proportional contracts worldwide. In 2005, he moved to Mexico office as Regional Director for Latin America. Since January 2010 he is located in Cologne, Germany, where it plays its current position. Carmelo studied Economics and Business Administration with specialization in Banking and Insurance at the L.U.I.S.S. University in Rome, Italy. He speaks Italian, German, Spanish, English, Portuguese and French.
Corporate Vice President and Director, International Research and Member Engagement, LIMRA and LOMA
Larry Hartshorn is responsible for the development and execution of LIMRA’s international research strategy. Under his guidance, the international research unit conducts a wide variety of research to provide insights and trends in distribution, consumer behavior and sentiment, products, retirement, and technology for markets throughout the world. Prior to joining LIMRA in 2015, Larry was Aetna’s executive director for Greater China in Shanghai. His responsibilities included strategic planning, research, management operation and consulting. Larry also previously served as research program manager for The Ohio State University, managing a multi-million dollar cluster of private, state, and federal grants targeting primary, secondary, and higher education curriculum reform.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Why You Should Encourage ‘The F-word’ (Fun) In The Workplace
Ron Johnson
Managing Director and Co-Founder, Blueprint Creative
Ron Johnson is Managing Director and co-founder of Blueprint Creative – one of the Caribbean’s leading strategic branding agencies and the world’s first ‘bhranding’ agency. Ron and his team help CEOs, marketing teams and HR departments build stronger brands and stronger businesses. While Ron is passionate about all aspects of branding, he is especially passionate about helping clients build company cultures where hard work, fun and profitability can co-exist. Ron has led his team at Blueprint Creative to win several “ADDY awards” for its branding work with clients as well as three Barbados’ Best Employers Awards in recognition of the company’s exemplary culture, working environment and HR practices. When Ron isn’t helping clients with their branding projects, you can find him thinking (about branding), reading (about branding), writing (about branding) and speaking (about branding).
11:15 am - 12:00 pm: Using Big Data to Support Advisor Decisions and Drive Opportunities
Olivier Lafontaine
Chief Product Officer, Equisoft
Olivier Lafontaine is Equisoft’s Chief Product Officer, responsible for ensuring the execution of the business strategies for all Equisoft products. Olivier maintains the product vision and strategy, as well as managing the sales team and product strategy directors. He is responsible for all aspects of the company’s product development. Olivier is a recognized leader in core insurance and wealth management systems, as well as large-scale agile system integration projects. He has forged strong industry partnerships over the past ten years, including Equisoft’s relationship with Oracle as their largest specialized insurance partner. Olivier has more than fifteen years of insurance industry Operations experience, and a proven track record of senior leadership success. He has been an executive with Equisoft since 2006. He is a licensed engineer and graduate of École Polytechnique de Montréal.
9:00 am - 10:00 am: Global Warming: Fact or Fiction?
Kenrick Leslie, CBE, OD, PhD
Executive Director, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs)
Kenrick Leslie is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs) which is located in Belmopan, Belize. In December 2003, he was charged with the responsibility of the development of the Centre from a concept to its current recognition as a Centre of excellence. Prior to becoming associated with the Climate Change Centre, he was a Senior Principal Scientist in the Applied Physics Laboratories of AlliedSignal Corporation, now Honeywell International in Morristown, New Jersey in the United States. Dr. Leslie established the National Meteorological Service of Belize and served as its first Director from 1972 to 1981. Regionally, he served as a meteorologist in the meteorological services of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Bahamas, and also on the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology from 1972 until 1981. Dr. Leslie is married to his wife Marlene for fifty three years and together they have four children and eleven grandchildren.
11:15 am - 12:00 pm: Using Big Data to Support Advisor Decisions and Drive Opportunities
Blake Love
Business Analyst, Equisoft
Blake has numerous years of experience in client facing environments for real estate, financial, and digital consulting industries. Blake has expertise in systems and process analysis, and serves our clients loyally on integration, data aggregation, and customization projects. Blake is a business analyst and product expert for Equisoft’s CRM development team. He is in charge of maintaining the product roadmap as well as designing services and features. Blake has a BCOMM with distinction in Business Technology Management at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business in Montreal.
10:30 am - 11:45 am: IFRS17 – The Shifting Landscape of Insurance
Garfield Reece
Audit Partner, PWC Jamaica
Garfield Reece, an audit partner at PwC Jamaica with more than 15 years of experience, leads financial and internal audit engagements for companies in a wide cross-section of industries, including manufacturing and retail, financial services, construction, agriculture, hospitality and the public sector. He has led audit engagements for entities listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and others regulated by the Financial Services Commission and Bank of Jamaica. Garfield has also led multi-location audits for private groups of companies with operations in 30 countries across the Caribbean, North America, Central America, Europe and the Pacific. A certified chartered accountant, Garfield has completed the certified information systems auditor (CISA) examinations and has led information technology (IT) audits for companies in Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean. His experience in IT audits has exposed him to information security for common operating and enterprise resource planning systems. Garfield has led regulatory reviews for light and power utilities in Jamaica and Bahamas. As part of his professional development, Garfield was seconded to PwC Canada in Toronto for seven months, where he worked as an audit senior manager with a portfolio of audit clients in the financial services sector. At PwC Canada, he focused on life and property and casualty insurance companies and mortgage banks. Garfield is responsible for risk management for PwC Jamaica and for the risk and controls service line for PwC firms operating in the Caribbean.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Parametric Insurance and Microinsurance
Nadjla Riedwyl
P&C Structurer, Vice President, Swiss Re
Nadja Riedwyl has been working for Swiss Re since 2008. Currently, she works as Property & Casualty Structurer for Latin America with the main focus to develop and provide clients with customized, innovative prospective and retrospective solutions, supporting the achievement of insurers’ strategic objectives and improvement of insurability in rapidly changing reinsurance and insurance markets. Before, she was managing client relationships and was responsible for accounts in Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Dutch Antilles and Suriname, and she was also working as actuary in the Life & Health Risk & Actuarial Management department of Swiss Re. Thus, Nadja has more than 10 years of experience in the reinsurance sector in different functions. She first came into contact with reinsurance by modelling probable maximal losses of natural hazards for the Intercantonal reinsurance union in Switzerland and by working in the field of climate change research (Swiss National Science foundation project “Paleoclimate variability and extreme events” PALVAREX). Ms. Riedwyl holds a PhD in Climate Sciences “European climate reconstructions back to 1000 AD – a methodological approach” and a Diploma in Mathematics “The agglomeration of INAR time series”, University of Bern, Switzerland.
11:15 am - 12:00 pm: Using Big Data to Support Advisor Decisions and Drive Opportunities
Ruben Veerasamy
Senior Vice President, Caribbean, Equisoft
Ruben has more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry, and over 15 years in Sales and Account management. For more than 5 years he headed our PMO with a unique ability to see projects from the analytical perspective of an engineer, and the critical planning skills of a project manager.
Recognized expert in Canadian & Caribbean markets
Lead some of Equisoft’s largest international modernization projects
Known for deep Insurance & Wealth Management knowledge
Optimal blend of engineering & planning skills
At Equisoft, Ruben oversees sales, project delivery and account management for the Caribbean. Our clients depend on his ability to holistically understand a modernization’s project lifecycle and ensure they receive the optimal solution, on-time and on-budget.
9:00 am - 10:00 am: Why Good Service is No Longer Good Enough
C. Richard Weylman, CSP, CPAE
Best-selling Author Chairman, Weylman Consulting Group CEO & CDO, Weylman Center for Excellence in Practice Management
Richard Weylman is considered one of the leading authorities on marketing innovation and understanding the customer perspective. Christopher Forbes, Vice Chairman of Forbes Media, refers to his work as “brilliant”. Richard is a strategic advisor to executives in all three sectors of the financial industry; insurance, advisory and banking. He is the author of three international best-sellers, including his latest which is also a CEO Reads best-seller The Power of Why; Breaking Out in a Competitive Marketplace. Richard has several business interests that serve the global financial industry including The Weylman Consulting Group, The Weylman Center for Excellence in Practice Management™, a web based educational platform where 4,000+ financial professionals attend streaming video classes each month, and Richard Weylman, Inc. which designs and delivers custom presentations and content. On a personal level, Richard was orphaned at age 6 and lived in 19 foster homes. Having overcome those circumstances, he has been recognized for his philanthropy on behalf of others by several organizations, including a nomination for the prestigious Horatio - Alger Award.
Best-selling Author Chairman, Weylman Consulting Group CEO & CDO, Weylman Center for Excellence in Practice Management
At a time when products, processes and platforms are increasingly commoditized, no longer is it enough to be transaction efficient or “service -oriented”. Empirical research based upon face -to face interviews with financially successful individuals clearly finds that a firm and its advisors as well as support staff needs to deliver a consistently elevated experience to capture and retain clients. The key components of an elevated experience as expressed by these financially successful individuals, are detailed. Specifically, this keynote presentation addresses: Why good, great or even personal service is no longer enough to retain their business. How a client or prospect’s overall experience is now an integral part of their perception of real and perceived VALUE. Why an elevated experience illustrates a relational approach over a transactional approach. How delivering an elevated experience becomes a very clear point of distinction from other firms. Why a consistently elevated experience creates emotional chemistry, stronger relationships, repeat business, and brand advocacy. The six psychological needs that drive their desire for an elevated experience and the specific tactics for each; tactics that will set your organization apart. Why consistent delivery is about cultural mindset; not about time or investing treasure.
As new generations enter the workforce, the insurance industry faces a tough challenge - how do we engage and develop this emerging talent group in a way that resonates with their preferences and expectations? Panelists will discuss various recruitment and engagement techniques for successful talent development results, dispel some of the common generational myths, and offer “what’s next?” predictions for the new age executive.
If you receive any unsolicited or suspicious email or phone call about a hotel booking in conjunction with this meeting, our advice is not to click on it, but delete the email immediately. In the case of a phone call, never give out your credit card information. Our designated conference hotels will never call you unless you contact them first.
Nested on Cancun’s finest stretch of private beach, the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun offers the best of both worlds with award-winning luxury that transports the soul to pure relaxation, yet equally stimulates with its proximity to the area’s vibrant culture and entertainment.
Conference attendees will be eligible to receive a discounted group rate of US$$396.00 per person, per night (single)/US $283 per person, per night (double) for a Grand Experience Package in a Junior Suite which includes:
Open Champagne Breakfast at Viña del Mar Restaurant during regular operational hours.
Open Lunch at Isla Contoy, Pool & Beach or Coral Café during regular operational hours.
Open Dine around á la carte (3 courses) or buffet at resort’s restaurants during regular operational hours. Additional charge will apply for Le Basilic.
International Open Bar during all meal consumptions at Resort´s private events, restaurants and bars during regular operational hours.
Snacks at available bars during regular hours of operation.
Pre-set Room Service Menu
In-suite full stock minibar. (Only water, coffee, tea, soft drinks and beer are refreshed once on a daily basis).
One hour of non-motorized water sports per suite, per stay at Marina Coral Beach. (Kayaks and Paddle Boards)
Applicable government taxes (16% VAT and 3% occupancy tax).
All Food & Beverage gratuities.
Maid Service and Portage.
Please Note:
A group reservation link will be provided upon receipt of your conference registration.
The above mentioned rates are per person, per day.
Residents of Mexico must also add on 16% VAT.
Attendees that choose to stay off property or book outside of the hotel block will be charged an additional US $177 fee per day for entrance into the event.
Check-in time is from 3:00pm. Check-out is at 12:00pm.
The Caribbean Insurance Conference is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and exhibitors. Sponsorship of the Conference will help increase name recognition, build product and service awareness, and provide valuable networking opportunities to several hundred key decision-makers in the life insurance and financial services industries across the Caribbean.
For details on the benefits of sponsorship, available packages, and how to apply to become a sponsor at the Caribbean Insurance Conference, please email Trish Sasso at psasso@limra.com.