Legal & General Reinsurance wraps up successful summer internship programme
(Hamilton, Bermuda – 25 August 2022) – Legal & General Reinsurance (L&G Re) has provided internship opportunities for two Bermudian students this summer, placing one in the group’s London headquarters. Trae Smith, 22, started at L&G Re on Par-La-Ville Road, Hamilton, on the 7th of June, while Victoria Lindsay spent eight weeks at Legal & General in London. This is the second time Ms. Lindsay has interned with the group after being placed with L&G Re in the summer of 2021.
Trae Smith, a Bermuda International Long Term Insurers & Reinsurers [BILTIR] intern who finished with the company on the 19th of August, studied actuarial science and mathematics at the University of Leicester, UK. Over six weeks, he circulated his time through the Pricing, Capital Management and Reporting teams.
The aspiring actuary said he most enjoyed learning a new programming language, creating and editing macros using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for Microsoft Excel.
Trae Smith said: “Learning the VBA programming language has been the highlight of my time with L&G Re. Six weeks ago, I knew nothing about how they worked and now I am able to create macros and fix them myself. At university, we covered a lot of theory, and I became very familiar with the different terms and notations that they use at L&G Re, but this summer, I’ve been able to put that into practice while gaining applicable skills and valuable, real life learning experience. The internship has only made me more certain of where my career is headed.”
Ms. Lindsay finished her eight-week internship with the pension risk transfer team at L&G Retirement Institutional earlier this month. The 24-year-old was the 2020 recipient of the Association of Bermuda International Companies [ABIC] Education Award, sponsored by L&G Re, and has been mentored by L&G Re Chief Actuary Zane Olivier. She will graduate from the University of Leicester next summer with a bachelor’s in mathematics and actuarial science.
Victoria Lindsay said: “It’s been a great experience. I’ve been able to do hands-on work and learn about the company and its pricing process. It’s been very interesting putting my university knowledge into practice, not only understanding how it all works but being able to see it operate. While I intend to return home to begin my career, I think other Bermudians should take advantage of experiences outside of Bermuda to get greater insight on what possibilities are out there.”
Zane Olivier, Chief Actuary, Legal & General Reinsurance, said: “I have now mentored both Victoria and Trae, and it has been enormously rewarding to be able to use my own connections and experience to facilitate their growth. They are committed and enthusiastic young people whose input has been valuable to our work at L&G Re. After this experience, I am even more excited to discover and promote Bermudian talent.”
Amy Ellison, CEO, Legal & General Reinsurance, said: “Both Trae and Victoria have seen first-hand what career opportunities are available to actuarial graduates and have gained worthwhile and applicable exposure to our industry this summer. This is the first time we have placed a Bermudian intern in London. It has been a hugely successful placement and one we will continue to run. Investing in local actuarial talent and creating a channel for future actuaries to develop their skills and knowledge is vital to the continued success of our industry.”