Being open-minded about career opportunities in re/insurance is one of the key takeaways from the executive panel discussion at the recent Athene Life Career Expo
The Executive Panel at the Athene Life Career Expo: Gina Martindale, Chief Human Resourse Officer at Martello Re; Cynthia Smith, CEO of Chariot Re; Suzanne Williams, CEO of BILTIR; and moderator Ruth Stovell, AVP Human Resources, Athene
Don’t limit your thinking about an insurance career. It’s not just sitting at a desk, and you don’t necessarily have to be a math whiz.
Being open-minded about opportunities is one of the key takeaways from the executive panel discussion at the recent Athene Life Career Expo.
Students and others considering their career options were exposed to some of the potential jobs in the life reinsurance and insurance sector.
Gina Martindale, Chief Human Resourse Officer at Martello Re, spoke to the various career paths available, while Cynthia Smith, CEO of Chariot Re, acknowledged her own misconceptions about the industry…
The panel then turned the question around to the skills companies may be seeking.
Ms Smith said technology may start to handle some of the numbers, but it can’t replicate critical thinking and relationships.
Ruth Stovell, AVP Human Resources at Athene, highlighted the importance of being a source of new ideas…
Craig Bridgewater will oversee all fiscal responsibilities of BHB and support the continued stability of the organisation’s financial operations
Craig Bridgewater. File photo
BHB press release:
Bermuda Hospitals Board today announced the appointment of Craig Bridgewater as the organisation’s interim chief financial officer. In this role, Mr Bridgewater will oversee all fiscal responsibilities of BHB and support the continued stability of the organisation’s financial operations.
Acting CEO Judy Richardson said: “We are pleased to welcome Craig to the Executive Team and appreciate his willingness to step into this role. Having served on the BHB Board since February, he already has a strong understanding of our operations, our financial landscape and the dedicated team he will be leading. His familiarity with the organisation allows for a smooth transition as we move forward. We will shortly begin a full recruitment process for a permanent chief financial officer.”
A Bermudian chartered professional accountant, Mr Bridgewater brings more than 30 years of experience across the audit, investment management, insurance and banking sectors locally and internationally. His background includes senior leadership roles in financial governance and reporting, regulatory compliance, operational transformation and people management. Most recently, he served as senior executive vice president and group chief financial officer at Butterfield Bank. He has also held senior finance positions at KPMG in Bermuda and the United States, and at Orbis Investment Management Limited.
BHB Board Chair Collin Anderson said: “Craig brings extensive financial leadership experience, and the Board has full confidence in his ability to guide the Finance team during this transition period.”
Mr Bridgewater succeeds former CFO Arthur Ebbin, who concluded his service with BHB last week after 13 years with the organisation.
By Alexa Lightbourne, Minister of Home Affairs and PLP MP for Devonshire North West
This week the Senate passed the Electricity Amendment Act 2026, days after it cleared the House of Assembly. The law builds affordability as part of the plan for Bermuda’s power. It also gives the Minister a narrow, public-interest power to pause and reset the planning process when that process shifts from the policy the people elected.
A power bill is a household responsibility. It informs the choice a senior makes between the light on at night and purchasing needed medication. It tells a small business owner whether to keep the doors open or which staff they may need to cut. The cost of electricity in Bermuda has hardened into a structure over many years, and the people asked this Government to change it.
The record provides our evidence. In 2019, Bermuda set a target of roughly 85 per cent renewable generation by 2035. That promise has not been kept. Renewable supply remains low, and households still pay one of the highest electricity rates in the region. This is because almost our power begins as oil, shipped across the ocean, and priced by a market we do not control.
In the autumn of 2023, a sudden rate rise sent families into the street in protest, and the rebate that rewarded clean energy investment was cut at the same time. The families who live closest to the power station have carried soot on their homes for years. After the entire island lost its lights, the answers took years to arrive. Hotels have now had their relief reversed. Just check the public record. These are the costs Bermuda has already paid. So who are we protecting?
This week’s debate made the problem plain for the public to see. The utility has said openly that it does not accept the changes, and it has warned of “ministerial interference” in a process it argues should stay at arm’s length. The utility has also told the island that its business and Bermuda’s interest are one and the same.
Here is where the line must be honest.
An entity answers to the owners who hold it, and that is respected. Bermuda and its interests must come first.
A responsible government answers to the people who elect it. An entity will act in its own commercial interest, and there is nothing improper in that.
The duty of an elected government runs only one way, to the public. The structure set in 2015 and 2016 was built around an entity with entrenched Bermudian interest. For too long, one entity’s voice has remained the loudest. That is the imbalance this law works to correct.
When planning works against the policy the public has chosen, the work is done twice, the delay compounds, and the bill increases. Industry set against the settled direction of the people serves no one, and it will drive the price of power higher.
The Ministry of Home Affairs does not claim to be the engineer or the regulator. The Regulatory Authority is empowered to regulate, and it will remain so.. The utility builds, runs, and maintains the grid that work depends on. The Government’s task is to set the public’s direction and to keep the plan honest to the people who pay for it. Each part and every stakeholder matters. None can carry the whole alone.
We are not the first island to face this. Jurisdictions with our exact constraints, small isolated grids and high costs, have expanded clean power, opened the sector to competition, and delivered real savings to ordinary customers. Kauai did it. Uruguay did it. Their results show what is possible. Bermuda’s plan must still be authored in Bermuda and sized for Bermuda, for our grid, our economy, and our people.
The National Electricity Sector Policy is nearly final. We are rightsizing the transition and rebuilding the planning process on the right foundation, with affordability written in from the start.
Everyone who depends on power has a stake in what comes next; international business and the hospital, hotels and restaurants, shops and small businesses, schools and care homes, builders, farmers and fishers, the unions and the churches, and every household, the seniors and struggling families most of all. We will not rest until the bill is fair. We will not rest until the grid holds through the storm. We will not rest until the cleaner power Bermuda was promised finally arrives.
This work belongs to the whole island. To every company that serves us, every parish, and every household that carries the bill. It belongs to all of us. We will rebuild Bermuda’s energy future the way this island has always built what lasts. Brick by brick, together.
By Ben Smith, Opposition Leader and Shadow Education Minister
Education is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any government. On that measure, the PLP Government has failed Bermuda.
The latest statement from the Minister of Education raises more questions than answers. After eight years of transformation, school closures, consultant reports, restructuring plans and millions of taxpayer dollars spent, the Minister is now telling Bermuda that timelines have been rescinded because Government still needs a better understanding of its school buildings, infrastructure requirements and future enrollment projections.
Let us remember what Bermudians were previously told. Former Education Minister Diallo Rabain repeatedly assured the country that Government would take its time, “measure twice and cut once,” and ensure that decisions were carefully planned before implementation.
Now, eight years later, Minister Caesar is effectively telling the public that Government is still looking for the measurements.
If that is the case, what exactly has this Government been doing for the better part of a decade? Parents have been forced to take decisions about their children’s future based on a transformation plan that now appears to have no clear direction. Teachers and principals have endured years of uncertainty. Students have lived through disruption after disruption.
Schools that were previously marked for closure were suddenly given a reprieve, and now the Minister’s latest comments create fresh uncertainty about what happens next.
Parents who chose schools after the Government pressed pause are now left wondering whether those same schools may once again find themselves on the chopping block.
Families deserve certainty. Instead, they have been given confusion. That is not transformation. That is chaos.
The Minister’s statement was filled with references to progress, planning and ongoing work. Yet there was no evidence of improved literacy rates, improved numeracy rates, improved examination results, improved attendance or improved student achievement. There were no measurable outcomes that would justify eight years of disruption.
Senator David Rogers was absolutely correct when he recently described Bermuda’s education system as being in a state of emergency.
An emergency is not defined by the dedication of our teachers, principals and school staff, who continue to do their best every day.
The emergency is a Government that cannot clearly explain what has been achieved, what the plan is going forward, or when Bermudians can expect results.
The Minister seems far more comfortable at photo opportunities than she is answering basic questions about the future of Bermuda’s public schools.
The contrast could not be more striking. The Minister found time to stand for photographs celebrating road paving near Port Royal, yet the educators, parents and staff affected by her decisions are still waiting for answers. Bermuda’s children do not need another photo opportunity. They need leadership, clarity and a Government that knows where it is taking the education system.
The reality is becoming increasingly difficult for the Government to avoid. After eight years, the PLP Government must admit that its education transformation agenda has failed to deliver the certainty, accountability and measurable improvement that Bermudians were promised.
The Minister should stop hiding behind slogans and process language and tell the public the truth: what is the plan, what are the timelines, and what measurable improvements have been achieved?
If the Government now admits that it still does not have the information needed to make informed decisions about school infrastructure, enrollment and long-term planning, then it must also admit that the promises, timelines and assurances given to the public over the last eight years were built on a foundation that was nowhere near as solid as Bermudians were led to believe.
Bermudians have waited long enough. Our children cannot afford another year of public education under this Minister.
Jitters by Allie Zuckerman is the winner of the 20th Famous for Fifteen Minutes Playwriting Competition
The cast and crew of Jitters. From left, Kinya Kiunga, Allie Zuckerman (playwright), Machum Simmons, Steven McCasland (guest judge), Reuben Flood, Elena Menendez Sanchez and Elin Daniels (director). Photo by Stephanie Hardy
BMDS press release:
Congratulations to the winner of the 20th Famous for Fifteen Minutes Playwriting Competition – Jitters by Allie Zuckerman!
Many thanks to the BMDS Charitable Trust and all who made this year’s festival one of the best ever! The competition has always been a perfect opportunity to try out a new skill, whether it’s writing, acting, directing – the possibilities are endless!
21 locally written plays were submitted and judged by an overseas panel of three experienced and award-winning playwrights, who chose six to be performed. The six plays were then sent to this year’s judge, Steven Carl McCasland, for him to pick the winner from the scripts. Mr McCasland based his decision on the writing and he chose the winner prior to coming to the Island to see the six plays performed.
By Maurice Foley, Deputy Co-Chair of the One Bermuda Alliance:
I appreciate Minister DeSilva’s response to my recent opinion piece and welcome his acknowledgement that St. David’s deserves more than housing alone.
On that point, we are in agreement.
St. David’s deserves housing. St. David’s deserves recreational spaces. St. David’s deserves opportunities for young people. St. David’s deserves economic development, community amenities and infrastructure improvements that improve the quality of life for residents.
Where many residents continue to seek clarity is not whether housing should be built, but how housing fits into the broader vision for our community.
The 2022 St. David’s Community Plan outlined a number of priorities and opportunities for our area. Residents were encouraged to participate in consultations and share their ideas for the future of St. David’s. Four years later, many are asking a reasonable question: what progress has been made?
What is the status of the proposed community amenities? What economic opportunities are planned? What investments are being made to support transportation, public services, recreational facilities and local businesses? How will existing infrastructure support additional growth?
These are not objections to housing. They are questions about planning.
As someone who was born and raised in St. David’s and remains deeply invested in its future, I believe residents deserve regular updates on the implementation of the Community Plan and how current developments fit within that larger framework.
Many of the concerns raised at the recent town hall meeting were not about opposing growth. They reflected a desire to ensure that growth is balanced, sustainable and beneficial to both current and future residents.
The conversation should not be framed as housing versus amenities. St. David’s deserves both.
The conversation should be about how we build a complete community where housing is supported by the services, businesses, transportation options, recreational spaces and economic opportunities that residents need to thrive.
As we look toward the future, I encourage the Government to provide a public progress update on the St. David’s Community Plan, outlining what has been completed, what is underway and what remains to be achieved.
Residents participated in good faith when they helped shape that vision. They deserve to know how that vision is progressing.
Our community has always demonstrated resilience, pride and a strong sense of identity. The people of St. David’s are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for transparency, partnership and a seat at the table as decisions are made about the future of the place they call home.
That is a conversation worth having, regardless of political affiliation, because ultimately, we all want the same thing: a stronger, more vibrant St. David’s for generations to come.
Machel Montano – known as the King of Soca – delighted crowds during Carnival in Bermuda.
When he sat down with our Kendal Trott, he talked about his journey through the music industry and the importance of Caribbean culture on the global stage.
Mr. Montano also spoke about his new documentary – Like Ah Boss: Journey of a Soca King – and shared insights from a career that has made him one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most celebrated artists.
Documentary Available on Machelmontano.com/likeahboss Click here
Ten years on, murder of national team cricketer remains unsolved
Fiqre Crockwell. Photo supplied by Bermuda Police Service
The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) are renewing their appeal for information in relation to the murder of Fiqre Crockwell.
Fiqre Crockwell was fatally shot on Sunday 19th June 2016, whilst on Woodlands Road, Pembroke.
No one has been arrested in connection with the murder.
Ten years later, the investigation remains active.
Detectives are grateful for the assistance received from the public thus far, but firmly believe that there are individuals who hold key information about the circumstances surrounding Fiqre’s death and are yet to make contact with us.
As a result, we are renewing our appeal for anyone who has information on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Crockwell’s death, to please come forward and help bring those responsible to justice.
You are once again encouraged to contact Detective Constable, Michael Redfern of the Serious Crime Unit by calling 247-1739, or via email, mredfern@bps.bm.
Alternatively, anonymous tips can be shared through the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers Bermuda hotline, by calling 800-8477, or using their website www.crimestoppers.bm.
You may also share the information via the BPS reporting portal, portal.police.bm, or speak with a police officer you know.
Government offices, including Bermuda public schools, will close at noon on the day of Sir John Swan’s funeral, Wednesday, June 24
Government of Bermuda press release:
The Cabinet Office is reminding the public that government offices, including Bermuda public schools, will close at noon on the day of Sir John Swan’s funeral, Wednesday, June 24.
As a reminder:
The public may sign a Book of Condolence from 10:00 am at the Cabinet Office, 105 Front Street.
Flags on all Government buildings will remain at half-mast until sundown on the day of Sir John’s funeral.
Further details on the funeral service will be issued in the coming days.
The City of Hamilton regrets to advise that Fresh Air Films: Sunset Cinema, scheduled for this Saturday, has been postponed due to forecast high winds and wind conditions that make it unsafe to erect and operate the outdoor cinema screens.
While we are disappointed to postpone the event, the safety of our attendees, staff and vendors must remain our top priority. We also want to ensure that when the event does take place, it provides the enjoyable waterfront experience our community has come to expect.
The event will be rescheduled for another date, which will be announced in due course.
We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the public for their understanding. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Albouy’s Point later this year for an unforgettable evening of movies under the stars.
A road closure on Middle Road in Warwick, near St Anthony’s Church, is effective Monday, 22 June 2026, during weekday working hours
Government of Bermuda press release:
The Ministry of Public Works advises the public of a road closure on Middle Road in Warwick, near St Anthony’s Church, effective Monday, 22 June 2026, during weekday working hours from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The closure will impact the section of road extending from just east of St Anthony’s Church to the entrance of Tatem School.
This closure is necessary to facilitate emergency road paving works to improve the condition and safety of the roadway.
Motorists should expect detours, with eastbound traffic routed via Burnt House Hill and Harbour Road, and westbound via Tamarind Vale and Harbour Road. Access will be maintained for residents and buses. Motorists are advised to proceed with caution and allow extra travel time.
HelpingHub.bm is a new online platform designed to make it easier for residents to find health and social care services across Bermuda
Bermuda Health Council press release:
Following a soft launch on 10 March 2026, the Bermuda Health Council is pleased to officially announce the public launch of HelpingHub.bm, a new online platform designed to make it easier for residents to find health and social care services across Bermuda. With this launch, information currently on HelpingServices.bm will transition to Helping Hub, and we will be working with the Department of Health on that consolidation.
HelpingHub.bm serves as a central online directory, allowing users to search for services quickly and conveniently without needing to create an account, helping improve access to information and support across the island.
“Too many people in Bermuda don’t know what care services exist, or where to start looking. Helping Hub changes that. It’s a free, no-login resource that puts the full picture of care in Bermuda at your fingertips whether you’re looking for mental health support, a specialist, or a community programme for a family member. It also provides a central place to post upcoming local events that can benefit our services and well-being. We built this because access to information should never be a barrier to getting care,” stated a Spokeswoman.
To mark the official launch, the Health Council is rolling out a series of public engagement activities throughout June and beyond.
Members of the public are invited to visit HelpingHub.bm and take part in a special incentive: the first 250 residents who visit the platform and complete a short feedback survey will receive a $10 Ashley’s Lemonade gift voucher.
The voucher can be redeemed for a variety of fresh fruit purées, and healthy options including fresh cucumber purée, fresh ginger, hibiscus and watermelon, so participants can enjoy healthier options.
This initiative runs from 16–30 June 2026, or until the survey limit is reached. It is the Council’s way of rewarding early adopters while also gathering community feedback to help improve the platform.
Additional launch activities will be shared this year and next year, on the Council’s Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages @BDAHealth. We will also be present at local community events and schools across the island to engage the public and share Helping Hub with them.
“The launch is just the beginning. Over the coming months we will be heading out into communities, partnering with churches, parent groups, and senior organisations, and making sure that every resident regardless of age or digital comfort feels confident using it. Our goal is for Helping Hub to become as familiar to Bermudians as dialing 911,” stated a Spokeswoman.
The Health Council is also actively encouraging providers to register on the platform. The more providers that participate and maintain current listings, the more valuable Helping Hub becomes for the residents who need it most.
HelpingHub.bm is designed to evolve as more organisations join and more details are put into their profiles.
Get Involved
Residents:Start exploring the platform today at helpinghub.bm and be one of 250 to earn a free Ashley’s Lemonade voucher by completing the short feedback survey on the platforms home page.
Providers: Visit the platform helpinghub.bm to create your listing and ensure your information is accurate and up to date for the community you serve.
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