2023 Caribbean Insurance Conference

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  3:45 pm - 4:45 pm: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  1:45 pm - 2:45 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Leslie Lee Fook

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.”

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  3:45 pm - 4:45 pm: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Rendra Gopee

Rendra spent the majority of his 30-year career in public accounting, with the last 16 as a Partner. He previously worked for PWC, KPMG, and EY in the UK, US and throughout the Caribbean. His past clients included some of the Caribbean’s largest assurance clients, spanning regional banks, insurance companies and conglomerates. In his advisory role, Rendra was focused on services related to public sector and SME’s, and specifically how public sector advisory services could impact the economies of countries, including the ease of doing business, restructuring debt and raising debt to facilitate development. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and is a Chartered Accountant ACCA, holding practicing certificates in Barbados, Trinidad and the Eastern Caribbean (OECS).

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  11:30 am - 12:30 pm: PANEL

James Green

James joined the Lloyd’s market in 1985 as a broker in the North American reinsurance department. He moved to his first underwriting job in 1989 with H.G. Jago and Others syndicate 205 where he worked on the property reinsurance portfolio and was his first introduction to Caribbean business.

In 2002 James moved to Liberty Syndicates to establish and grow a worldwide property reinsurance portfolio. During this time James helped create the Paris, Madrid, Sao Paolo and Bogota offices and is currently establishing a presence in Asia with a new office in Singapore.

During 2022 Liberty brought all the reinsurance lines together to create Liberty Mutual Reinsurance, however the risk carrier remains as Lloyd’s. James sits on the Leadership Team for the London Rest of the World Division.

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  11:30 am - 12:30 pm: PANEL

James Grieve

James ‘s career began with Swiss Re in London in 1980. Between 1985 & 1987 James worked at a start-up, Delta/Ichem Re which eventually became QBE Re in London. 

He has held senior positions with Hiscox in Lloyd’s, Employers Re / GE Frankona in London, Employers Re in Miami. 

Since 2006 he has been the CUO at SCOR Re – Miami for Latin America and the Caribbean. In this role, James took a small team from Employers Re shortly after the acquisition by Swiss Re to SCOR in order to restart the P&C Treaty strategy in the region. The portfolio has grown 10-fold. 

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  11:30 am - 12:30 pm: PANEL

Emma Karhan

She joined Aon 5 years ago after working for Guy Carpenter, MMC, for over 15 years in both London and New York. Prior to MMC she was a Senior Consultant for KPMG in their assurance-based practice in New York and began her reinsurance career as an Assistant Underwriter for REAC in Sydney Australia.  Emma has worked across both reinsurance and retrocession in her career and has had great success in building practices in areas of Terrorism Reinsurance and specialising in the private public partnerships. She is focused now on how to create impact and build solutions to support climate change and the humanitarian agenda. She represents Aon in various industry initiatives and most recently was responsible for building the first reinsurance transaction for the International Federation of the Red Cross to support their humanitarian activities. She has a degree in Econometrics and Marketing from University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  11:30 am - 12:30 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Axel Kravatzky, Ph.D.

Dr. Axel Kravatzky is Managing Partner of Syntegra-ESG, advising and guiding leaders on how to develop, activate and amplify the power of their brand and people to positively impact society and the natural environment profitably.  As the practice lead for Integrated Governance and Strategy he has been working with Boards of Directors, Board Committees and Executives for over 20 years. His specialties are the financial, state-owned enterprise, utilities, and non-for-profit sectors.  Axel was the founding Chairman of the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute (CCGI) and lead the development of the first and only accredited Corporate Governance training programme in the Caribbean region.  Axel is currently the Vice Chair of ISO/TC309 Governance of Organizations, serves as the co-convener and technical editor for ISO/TC309/WG1 which developed the global benchmark on good organizational governance: “ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organizations — Guidance”, and is the project leader of “ISO 37006 Indicators of effective organizational governance – Guidance”.

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  1:45 pm - 2:45 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Peter Lozier

Peter has over 25 years of experience in senior and executive leadership roles in the healthcare and TPA industry. As Chief Executive for Argus Americas - Peter is responsible for all Argus companies within Bermuda and Canada including all Insurance entities, financial services companies, medical practices, and care management companies.  Peter has worked in the Caribbean region for over 30 years, helping communities get the healthcare they need and deserve. He has collaborated with several Caribbean health insurance companies, including Sagicor, Bahama Health, CINICO, ICBL, Generali and ENNIA.   More recently Peter has been focusing efforts on the creation of the Better Health Partnership in Bermuda and across the Caribbean.

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  1:45 pm - 2:45 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Jorge Otero , MD, MSc, RDMS

Dr. Otero is a board-certified Emergency Physician with board certification in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, Master's in Health Administration. Public Health and Health Policy at the New York University Wagner School of Public Service.

Executive physician and clinician educator with over 25 years of experience in emergency department leadership, healthcare insurance management, and population health expertise; design strategies to develop high-quality and efficient healthcare delivery systems with a customer-oriented focus, benchmarking with service industries and implementing alternative methods of access to care with cost-effective technologies. Successfully improved time-sensitive healthcare delivery by using a multispecialty strategy, leveraging process transformation, and utilizing cross-disciplinary evidence-based management.

Former Chief Medical Officer at Best Doctors Insurance, Responsible for oversight, expertise, and leadership of Medical Services, Underwriting, and Provider Network strategies in the USA and throughout Latin America. Clinical direction for all medical policy, including utilization management, case management, and pharmacy services utilizing now blockchain technology in healthcare and life insurance services.

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  1:45 pm - 2:45 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Anand Pascal

Anand Pascal is currently the President of Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited. He was appointed to the position on 1st January 2014. Prior to this he was the Chief Operating Officer and held this position from October 2009 to December 2013.

Anand has over 20 years insurance industry experience starting as an auditor with Price Waterhouse in 1992, where his primary clients were in the life and general insurance industry. He joined Guardian Life as the Accountant in 1997. In 1998, he joined Coca Cola, but returned to Guardian Life in 2000 as the Chief Accountant. He was appointed Vice President Finance in 2001 and remained in that position until his appointment as COO. He has also served as a member of the board of directors at RGM Limited as well as the Chairman of the Life Committee of the Association of Trinidad & Tobago Insurance Companies.

He is currently a director of Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited, Association of Trinidad & Tobago Insurance Companies (ATTIC) and the Insurance Association of the Caribbean Inc.(IAC). A past student of Fatima College, he attained his professional designation from the Association of Charted Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 1996. Anand is currently a fellow of the ACCA and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago.

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  11:30 am - 12:30 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Kyle Rudden

Kyle Rudden, Managing Director of KR Services Limited and Immediate Past President of the Caribbean Actuarial Association, is an actuary and chartered accountant with over 30 years’ consulting experience, primarily in the Caribbean & Central/South America.  His firm specialises in the application of international financial and actuarial standards in developing markets, and translating complex issues into practically useful information.

Kyle is a member of the UK Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the UK Institute & Faculty of Actuaries, the US Society of Actuaries, the US Casualty Actuarial Association and the Actuarial Society of Kenya.  He is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad & Tobago and director of both the Trinidad & Tobago Central Bank and Stock Exchange.  Currently he is Vice President of the Trinidad & Tobago Revenue Authority, and the Mayaro Initiative for Private Enterprise Development, a successful rural microfinance company. 

Professionally, Kyle has acted as an actuarial advisor to life and general insurance companies, pension plans and regulators throughout the region.  He was a member of the Insurance Accounting Committee of the International Actuarial Association (IAA) that developed IAN 100, its guidance for IFRS 17.  He sits on the IAA taskforce reviewing the International Sustainability Standards Board IFRS S2 on Climate-related Disclosures.  He was a contributor to the IAA discussion paper on Insurance, Climate Change and Vulnerable Populations.  Internationally, he has spoken extensively on applications of IFRS in developing nations as well as sustainable development and ethics. 

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  2:45 pm - 3:45 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Mark Rueegg

Mark held various positions with UBS in the areas of FX, rates, and trading platforms before founding CelsiusPro in 2008. He sees climate change as a mega trend affecting the bottom line of companies and therefore the need for climate risk transfer products is pivotal. Mark founded NatCatPro, an MGA focusing on parametric NatCat risks in 2021. He was on the BoD of the Weather Risk Management Association (WRMA) from 2012-2016 and has been elected to the BoD again in 2022. Mark is a CFA Charter holder, has an MBA in Economics from the University of Rochester/Bern, and is currently enrolled in the CPCU program. 

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  3:45 pm - 4:45 pm: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Matthew Scott

Matthew has played a key role in the shaping of Altus Consulting since 2006, building the methodology behind our consultancy approach, training staff & clients and leading engagements with our key accounts. As International Director, Matthew is responsible for coordination of Altus Consulting engagements outside of the UK. Definition of consultancy services to be delivered in partnership with the wider Equisoft Group and the exploration of opportunities to establish further Altus Consulting operations in new markets.

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  10:30 am - 11:30 am: GENERAL SESSION

Deon Sewell

Deon is a Senior Manager at KPMG Caricom, based in Jamaica. He has been working with KPMG for the last 13 years and prior to that, he worked with another Big 4 Firm in the USA. His core expertise is in Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management. Deon’s primary responsibility is to assist enterprises to establish strong internal controls and risk management frameworks to comply with corporate governance and regulatory requirements within industry, with a primary focus on the Insurance sector across Caricom.

Deon has participated in various conferences, and presented on related governance and regulatory topics for the following organisations:

• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Conference, Jamaica
• Jamaica Bankers Association AML/CFT Conference
• Institute of Internal Auditors, Trinidad Chapter
• University of the West Indies, Jamaica

He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University, married and have two daughters, an avid Liverpool fan, and serves as a deacon within his local circuit of Baptist churches.

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  2:45 pm - 3:45 pm:

Joseph Sidaros

Joseph is a professional management consultant & executive coach with extensive experience in the areas of management development, recruiting and selection, budgeting, staffing, forecasting, business planning, marketing, promotions, human relations, sales and distribution for the financial security industry.  In his endless pursuit of helping people achieve excellence through balanced personal and professional lives he uses creativity and innovation to motivate managers, executives and other key players to peak performance.  This passion for helping people has contributed to the success and growth of numerous organizations.

Joseph’s leadership and performance has earned him numerous certificates of achievements for his management role as a builder and developer of people. For the last 39 years, he has been involved as a consultant, designer, moderator and facilitator of workshops and programs such as the Advanced Management Training Courses, Coaching & Feedback Mastery, Field Management Seminars, Success by Design, Market Development Programs, Insurance & Investment Sales, Confrontation Management, Success by Design, Leadership in Action, Customer Focused Selling, Team Management, Change Management, Relationship Management, Consultative Selling skills and more. From general manager to area director, Joseph has played a significant leadership role in building distribution networks of numerous major and international companies around the world.

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  3:45 pm - 4:45 pm: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Ruben Veerasamy

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.

• Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  9:00 am - 10:15 am: GENERAL SESSION

Leza Wells

Leza Wells is a Senior Manager at Gen Re, providing senior strategic, business development and pricing support to Gen Re’s reinsurance offices in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and Canada, as well as leading Gen Re’s business development efforts in the Caribbean.   She has over 24 years of experience in both the South African and international life insurance industries, holding a number of executive positions in life insurance and reinsurance companies where her focus was predominately on product development, pricing and distribution of retail and group life insurance products.

Before joining Gen Re, Leza was the Chief Commercial Officer at the South African Insure-tech company, Simply, and prior to that she was the Chief Product Actuary at South African life insurer, Bidvest Life. She also spent 11 years as Chief Pricing Actuary for RGA South Africa, has worked for Hannover Life Re as Actuarial Pricing Manager, and has consulting experience in advisory firm EY in London. Leza is currently the vice-chair of the International Actuarial Association (IAA) Mortality Forum and chaired the South African local continual statistical investigations committee for many years. She is also a member of the IAA Pandemics Task Force, currently focused on the sharing learnings from the pandemic.

• Monday, June 5, 2023

  11:30 am - 12:30 pm: GENERAL SESSION

Dr. Colin Young

Dr. Colin A. Young, a Belizean national, is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) headquartered in Belize SINCE January 2020. Pr ior to hi s appointment at the CCCCC, Dr. Young served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Social Security Board, a parastatal entity that administers Belize’s Social Security Fund from 2017 to 2019 were he championed contribution reform, technology transformation and numerous legislative changes. Dr. Young also served as the CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment, Sustainable Development where he had overall responsibilities for all of the portfolios, including climate change, other than agriculture as well as the CEO in the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities from 2012-2015. Dr. Young has served on numerous boards including the Green Climate Fund, a financial mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He holds both a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Connecticut in the United States.