BILTIR opens dialogue on transparency and protection at 2026 conference

For Bermuda’s life reinsurance sector, responsible growth is only one part of the story. As cross-border life and annuity reinsurance continues to expand and international attention on asset-intensive business models evolves, the conversation has become increasingly nuanced. 

Matters around governance, investment strategy, transparency and policyholder protection now sit alongside discussions of capacity and capital; a collection of macro factors that Bermuda International Long Term Insurers and Reinsurers (BILTIR) intends to address during its annual Bermuda International Life & Annuity Conference.

Held on September 28-29, 2026, at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel and Beach Club, the conference’s programme is built around opening up a dialogue on the latest life and annuity developments.

As business models evolve and the long-term market becomes more diverse, the annual conference will serve as a forum for the industry to exchange expertise, test ideas and build the relationships needed to navigate what comes next.

“We want to make sure that the conference is one that resonates with everyone,” BILTIR CEO Suzanne Williams (pictured) told Intelligent Insurer. “We’ve created an environment where everybody is represented, so that those attending have a very well-rounded experience alongside educational value.”

The ambition extends beyond sharing information. BILTIR wants the conference to build relationships between market participants, regulators and standard setters that can continue beyond the event itself. “It’s all of those great minds together that will create an environment that allows this market to continue to thrive,” Williams said.

A look behind the curtain for 2026

Since joining the organisation just over two years ago, Williams has overseen the continued expansion of the conference into an increasingly international platform for discussion, networking and technical learning.

This year introduces several notable additions, including dedicated technical sessions that allow speakers to examine specialist topics in far greater depth than a conventional panel format permits.

The idea emerged from last year’s conference, when one panellist remarked that a single legal issue could easily fill an hour-long session.

Williams recognised that observation as an opportunity. “How interesting would it be for those individuals that are really interested in the tactical elements to have the opportunity to explore that deeply,” she said. “We wanted to create a mechanism for that.”

The result is a programme that places greater emphasis on education and practical insight, allowing delegates to move beyond headline themes to the operational and regulatory detail increasingly shaping the market.

Equally significant is the introduction of a dedicated deal room, providing a space for business meetings away from the main conference floor. BILTIR has recognised, with a 49% international attendance in 2025, that the conference is a melting pot of top decision-makers, and that facilitating business while present at the conference is natural progression to strengthen important ties with international markets.

Though hosted in Bermuda, the discussions reflect the priorities of an international market. This year’s programme explores Bermuda’s relationships with the US, Japan and other key Asian markets, alongside broader discussions involving regulators and global standard setters.

The US remains Bermuda’s largest source of life and annuity reinsurance business, while Japan continues to represent one of the market’s fastest-growing strategic relationships. The conference agenda acknowledges both, featuring senior regulatory voices alongside sessions examining cross-border cooperation and supervisory frameworks.

Maintaining Bermuda’s competitive position increasingly depends on commercial success and confidence among overseas regulators, policymakers and international organisations assessing supervisory standards.

Building confidence through collaboration

BILTIR’s mission for the conference is collaboration.

The agenda has been intentionally constructed to reflect the breadth of today’s market and a conscious effort has been made to ensure each panel discussion is balanced to represent and resonate with a variety of attendees. 

Collaboration starts with an open exchange. There are opportunities for the audience to ask questions throughout the conference, as well as discuss the topics during the networking breaks. 

“We plan to open up the dialogue and help create relationships where you have standard setters or regulators that feel comfortable interacting with the market and utilising it to help solve problems,” Williams noted.

Companies inevitably understand emerging business models before regulators do because “they are building it, brick by brick”. Equally, regulators have an independent perspective that ultimately strengthens market confidence. Bringing those points of view together benefits the industry as a whole. This collaborative approach also shapes the event’s keynote programme. 

Former CIA director, current partner at KKR, chairman of the KKR Global Institute and chairman of KKR Middle East, General David Petraeus will examine the geopolitical forces influencing capital flows, investment and global markets during his keynote before industry leaders discuss what those developments mean specifically for Bermuda’s long-term sector in a panel that follows. 

The structure reinforces the conference’s broader objective – connecting global trends with the practical realities facing insurers and reinsurers operating from the jurisdiction. 

In a market facing no shortage of uncertainty, the value of bringing people together extends beyond the deals struck during the event. For BILTIR, the conference provides a platform to drive discourse beyond the challenges facing the industry today and toward tangible solutions, with the aim that conversations that start in the room continue long after the final session.

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