Nassau, The Bahamas, July 15, 2026 – Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited (CHBL), represented by its subsidiaries Colina Insurance Limited (CIL), Colina Financial Advisors Limited (CFAL), Colina General Insurance Agents and Brokers (CGIA), and Indigo Insurance (Bahamas) Limited, recently hosted an informative session for students of the Bahamas Youth Leadership Development program (BYLD).

During the event, the students learned about careers in areas such as insurance, human resources, information technology, investments, accounting, communications and graphic design.

Presentations were given by Catherine Williams, vice president of finance at CIL and group chief financial officer of Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited; Javon Pinder, information technology service and support technician, CIL; Latasha Strachan, senior manager, learning and development, CIL; Richard Pinder, client relationship manager, CFAL; Dale Dean Jr., graphic designer, CIL; and Brian Williams, co-founder and chief executive officer of Indigo. The event was hosted by Maxine Seymour, director of corporate communications at Colina and chief communications officer of CHBL.

The event also featured a donation of $10,000 by Colina Insurance Limited to the BYLD program.

“Colina has been a sponsor and a supporter of the program, via corporate interactions and meetings for the entire 16 years of the program’s existence,” said Zhivargo Laing, former member of Parliament and BYLD founder.

“It has been an absolutely wonderful supporter of the program. Certainly it has been one of its most significant supporters,” he added.

BYLD was started on September 26, 2010 by Laing – it was initially called the Marco City Youth Leadership Institute. Participants are tasked to develop skills in areas such as time management, money management, entrepreneurship, ethics, emotional intelligence, and effective communication.

The program’s inaugural 2010 class consisted of 32 junior and senior students from high schools and across Grand Bahama.

“BYLD started in 2010. Now roughly 700 students have completed the program,” noted Laing.

“The focus is on their transition from their youth life to adulthood. We think that leadership skills are important adult skills – learning how to communicate, how to make decisions, how to solve problems, how to resolve conflicts, how to manage your emotions, how to influence people. These are some of the areas that are focused on during the course of the program. The students and their parents have been great testimonies to the changes they have seen in these young people, whether it’s their confidence, their public speaking, their ability to make decisions, et cetera.”

Colina has supported the program from its inception, providing funding and donations, executive sessions with Colina executives, and tours of Colina facilities to learn about the company’s operations.

“Many of these students will become the leaders of tomorrow, taking charge in The Bahamas and internationally in various fields, disciplines and industries, being beneficiaries of the BYLD program. Who knows where their paths will take them. CHBL is certainly proud to play a part in their education and development,” said Maxine Seymour, director of corporate communications at Colina and chief communications officer of CHBL.

“It has been an honor for CHBL to support the BYLD program over the past 16 years. The sister companies of CHBL are committed to improving the lives of Bahamians, and the education of our youth is an important part of that commitment. Collaborating on this event was a no-brainer for the various companies that comprise CHBL. It was certainly a pleasure to come together and provide information to the students about the financial services sector in general, and specifically about the various opportunities at CHBL.”

About Colina Insurance Limited (Colina)

Colina is a diversified financial services company, offering comprehensive life and health insurance solutions. Colina is wholly-owned by Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited (CHBL). CHBL is a Bahamian Company, built on a firm foundation of trust, integrity and responsibility. Colina has evolved over the past century to become The Bahamas’ largest life and health insurer, with a solid reputation for providing insurance and related financial services products that help clients prepare for life’s unexpected events.