The Nassau Conference, the annual professional development conference presented by the Association of International Banks & Trust Companies in The Bahamas (AIBT), continues to undertake its primary mandate to provide ongoing professional development opportunities for current and future leaders of the financial services industry. As a result of their participation in Nassau Conference 2012, this past summer eleven (11) College of The Bahamas (COB) students had the opportunity to gain invaluable experience by completing internships with 9 leading banks and trust companies in The Bahamas.

By all accounts, the students had impactful experiences that will shape their future careers in the sector. Intern Serissa Edwards expressed that her time working in Business Development at Winterbotham Trust Company “was a good learning experience and good preparation for the work world”. Paula Hilaire, who interned in the Mutual Funds Department of Societe Generale added “I am really grateful for the opportunity. It was a great learning experience”. Petra Armbrister spent her summer in the Administration department of St. James Bank & Trust Company and was grateful for the exposure the internship afforded her. “It allowed me the opportunity to explore my career interests with mentoring from employees and gave me an opportunity to network with professionals in the industry”.

These and eight other interns spent the summer getting a first hand look at life as a financial services professional with the aforementioned companies as well as Credit Suisse AG, Pictet Bank & Trust, The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company, The Private Trust Corporation Limited and UBS (Bahamas) Ltd.

UBS intern Deshawn Rolle captured the sentiment of the entire class when she expressed that the opportunity “has helped me realize that I want to be in banking and I’m able to see the different routes I can take and where I ultimately want to be in life. Thank you again for this opportunity! Hopefully it isn’t the last, because many young minds can benefit from this programme.”

For the 8th Annual Nassau Conference - scheduled for Wednesday, October 16th, 2013 at the British Colonial Hilton under the theme “The Shift Has Occurred. How Are You Positioned?” - the plan is to expand the internship program to 20 students for Summer 2014. The Ministry of Financial Services is the Lead Sponsor of the Conference and its commitment facilitates the attendance of the COB students. Additionally, the corporate community continues to show its support for The Nassau Conference including ATC Trustees (Bahamas) Limited, the Bahamas Financial Services Board, BSI Overseas (Bahamas) Ltd., BTC, the Central Bank of The Bahamas, Credit Suisse AG, Nassau Branch, Deloitte, Higgs & Johnson, Julius Baer Bank & Trust (Bahamas) Ltd., KPMG, LennoxPaton, Pictet Bank & Trust Ltd., The Private Trust Corporation Limited, Societe Generale Private Banking (Bahamas) Limited, Scotia Private Client Group, SYZ & Co. Bank & Trust Limited, Star General Insurance Agency Limited, Sungard, UBS (Bahamas) Ltd., and The Winterbotham Trust Company Limited.

The Nassau Conference is a premier professional development event dedicated to preparing and enhancing Bahamian professionals for continued success in the industry. A dynamic and relevant agenda drew more than 200 attendees in the last two years and underscores AIBT’s ongoing commitment, as Founding Partner, to the continued development and growth of this vital sector and its professionals.

As a key event on the financial services calendar, The Nassau Conference features a diverse range of presentations and panel discussions with subject matter experts, and provides a unique opportunity for networking and the exchange of ideas. It continues to be a leading professional development event for industry professionals at all levels. For more information, and to register, visit www.nassauconference.com or connect follow Conference activities on Facebook (facebook.com/NassauConference) and Twitter (twitter.com/NassauConf).