Risky Business: Exploring Insurance & Capital Risk

Stephen was elected BDA Chair in 2020 and has been a member of the board since 2016. He currently serves as an advisor to RenaissanceRe having retired after two decades from his role as Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. During his time with RenaissanceRe, Stephen was Chair of the Risk Sciences Foundation, the company’s charitable vehicle committed to researching and developing risk-mitigation techniques and raising awareness through conferences and outreach events, including the award-winning Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum series, and served as a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to RenaissanceRe, Stephen worked for Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, a leading international law firm.

Stephen serves on the boards of several industry and charitable groups including Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), an independent U.S. non-profit scientific research and educational organisation based in Bermuda, and the R Street Institute, a leading U.S. non-partisan policy organisation. He also serves on the President’s Advisory Counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest non-profit conservation organisation, and is a member of Bermuda’s COVID-19 Economic Advisory Committee. Stephen is a graduate of Columbia College, NY, and Harvard Law School.

‘Aholotu Palu has been involved in various roles in Tonga’s Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office for almost 20 years. He has also held significant positions at the World Bank, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).

An Economist by trade, he has vast experience on public policy analysis (fiscal and monetary), sovereign loan negotiations, banking, investment, healthcare financing and matters related to sustainable development.

His other areas of expertise include climate and disaster risk finance-related issues and public finance management; managing aid programs/projects with relevant stakeholders; project development, management and appraisals; and economic and budget analysis, planning, formulation and execution.

‘Aholotu graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Administration in Fiji and a Master of Sustainable International Development in the USA. In addition, he has undertaken post-graduate professional courses for Executive in Finance and Banking at the University of Malta, Public and Private Partnership Infrastructure in a Market Economy at Harvard University (Kennedy School) in the USA, and Small State Financial and Banking Management at Oxford University (St Catherine College) in the UK.

Entrepreneur, Management Consultant, Private Banker, International Speaker & Mentor with over 20yrs of Experience as a Digital Economist, Global Strategy, Strategic Planning, Management & Development Consulting, and Financial Planning with a passion for Private Sector Development specifically industry and enterprise transformation and Access to Finance.