MADISON
MELLO
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Hamilton Princess & Beach Club
Ithink Bermuda offers a great start when you are trying to grow in an industry,” says 29-year-old Madison
Mello of her role as a marketing coordinator for the Hamilton Princess & Beach
Club. “The island is small, it is very easy to
excel at something without having a degree,
and Bermuda likes to watch Bermudians
succeed.” With almost a decade of experience in the hospitality industry from working at Flanagan’s Irish Pub, Mello realised
in the summer of 2015 that she wanted to
expand her skill set and successfully applied
for an assistant manager position at the
Fairmont-managed hotel. In February 2016
she applied for her current position, and
was delighted to be offered the job. “For
the first time in a long time, I felt like I had
finally figured out what I was meant to be
doing,” she reflects.
Mello’s day-to-day responsibilities
include crafting messaging for the hotel’s
advertising, branding, public relations and
social media. She also hosts social media
influencers, and even had the opportunity
to work with the producers of NBC’s The
Today Show when they broadcast from
the hotel in May of this year. “I love how
current it is,” she explains of her position,
elaborating that getting to meet and work
with so many interesting people is one of
the biggest perks of the job.
For those looking to get a start in the
hospitality industry, she offers simple, but
powerful advice: “Believe in yourself. Close
your mind to the negativity and continue
to push forward. Eventually someone will
notice and it will be worth the wait.”
HELEN
CRISSON
ACTUARIAL ANALYST
Validus Re
An actuarial analyst at Validus Re, 25-year-old Helen Crisson ap- proaches her chosen career path
with enthusiasm and confidence. “Seeing
the opportunities for growth is very excit-
ing,” she says. “Industries evolve, so watch-
ing and being a part of something for which
Bermuda is on the global stage has always
been a big part of why I chose a career in
reinsurance.” Having originally gotten her
start in reinsurance as an intern at Validus,
she has been there ever since, and started as
an analyst right out of university. She enjoys
the variety that comes with her position,
noting that each submission is different
and presents a new puzzle to solve. “When
I’m not pricing, there are always projects to
work on, challenging me to think outside of
the box and learn new skills.”
Noting that she’s had a multitude of posi-
tive, inspirational people guide her to where
she is today, Crisson states that her short-
term goal is to pass the actuarial exams and
get fully qualified. “Learning how to study
well has been, and still is, one of my biggest
obstacles,” she admits. “It’s an ongoing
process that keeps changing as I continue to
take the exams.”
In terms of advice for people consider-
ing a career in reinsurance, she encourages
young people to ask questions and never
stop learning, elaborating that as the associ-
ated technologies evolve, so should one’s
skills. “The more you understand, the more
you can contribute, and the more you can
contribute, the more valuable you are.”
DARRELL
THOMAS
IT SUPPORT TECHNICIAN
BF&M
Darrell Thomas, 30, is an IT sup- port technician at BF&M, and loves that his career affords him
the daily opportunity to help people. “Be-
fore you do anything, learn what it means
to serve others,” he says. “I believe that ser-
vice builds a career, solidifies character and
leaves a legacy.” Noting the dynamic nature
of his industry, he emphasises the impor-
tance of growing and shifting with global
trends, and of obtaining relevant certifica-
tions wherever they are available. “Do your
research and see what areas of IT are boom-
ing and what areas are being outsourced or
reduced,” he recommends to those looking
to get started in the field. “But one thing
that must remain regardless of shifting
trends is consistency of character.”
Thomas credits his faith, family members
and BF&M colleagues for helping him get
to where he is today, and adds that he has
learned a great deal in his short time at the
organisation. “My short term goal is to gain
a better knowledge of the environment I
work in, to better facilitate and assist with
day-to-day tasks,” he states. “My position
requires focus, growth, diligence and ac-
countability and it is in these areas that I am
placing my focus.”
He explains that level-headedness and a
calm attitude are essential attributes in his
line of work, and that BF&M being the of-
ficial insurer of the 35th America’s Cup has
helped him learn the true art of teamwork
in the face of tight deadlines, and ingenu-
ity in the face of last-minute requests. “I’ve
been fortunate to experience what working
with a world-class organisation entails, and
I have learned from it.”
