Nigel Caesar, a senior accounting major at Alcorn State University, successfully completed the esteemed Council Academy at Lloyd’s in London, England, from May 13-15, 2025. Lloyd’s Academy is recognized as the industry’s premier commercial education platform for risk management professionals.
The Council Academy at Lloyd’s is an exclusive, invitation-only, three-day program designed for senior leaders and professionals to gain firsthand insight into business transactions at Lloyd’s. Participants develop a deep understanding of market operations and acquire valuable knowledge to enhance their firm’s commercial property/casualty placement strategy.
Caesar’s participation in the academy stemmed from his involvement in Dr. Andre Liebenberg’s Center of Insurance Transformation (CIT) certificate program, which is based at the University of Mississippi but open to HBCU students. The program aims to introduce students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to the insurance industry and is deeply invested in its students’ success.
“Attending the Council Academy at Lloyd’s wasn’t a simple application process for us,” Caesar said. “My classmates, Beth Johnson and Phillip Kinley from Jackson State, and I are all members of the first CIT cohort. After a year in the program, we were selected as the top ambassadors.”
LtoR: Phillip Kinley, Bethsheba Johnson, Kevin Hawkinson, & Nigel Caesar
A trip to London was the incentive for the top ambassadors, providing significant motivation for Caesar and his peers. “We did our best at the program and did our best at our internships, each with the goal to get to London,” he added.
Extensive preparation preceded the trip, including securing passports and participating in calls to learn about Lloyd’s and London. “Nothing was challenging, besides a lot of emails!” Caesar recalled. A memorable moment during that time was probably the night before, after all the details were in place. I remember thinking, ‘I’m really about to go across the Atlantic Ocean,’ and getting really excited to see what it was like.”
A typical day at the academy involved attending sessions in a conference room on the 11th floor of the Lloyd’s building. “The day would start with the agenda briefing straightaway into guest speakers while we all sat in groups at tables,” Caesar explained. “We took notes and asked questions while we learned about the topic being discussed. After lunch, we continued with more sessions.”
Memorable moments included a session at Lloyd’s Lab, where the organization fosters innovative businesses in the insurance industry. “We got to see a lot of cool business models that are in the works in a sort of impromptu expo,” Caesar said. The most memorable experience was a dinner in Lloyd’s Adam Room, a prestigious dining hall. “It was an honor to eat there, considering that the late queen, the current king of England, and Winston Churchill have eaten there,” he noted.
Despite being interns among senior-level and C-suite individuals, Caesar found the learning environment to be high-level and accessible. “The speakers treated us as such,” he said. “It was still a great learning experience, and nothing went too far over our heads.”
A significant “aha!” moment for Caesar was understanding the tight-knit relationship between client, broker, and underwriter. “I was not aware of how true that is until I sat and learned how Lloyd’s conducts its business and how they urged us as their students to do the same,” he explained. “Lloyd’s is often considered an origin point of what people consider the business of ‘getting insurance,’ but their model has not truly changed in over 300 years. Business is held face-to-face at Lloyd’s, and that is the case because insurance is a people business, and success lies within how well you can talk to people, not over an email, but face-to-face to best build that relationship.”
Lloyd’s Academy Class of 2025
This experience has solidified Caesar’s interest in the insurance field. “This experience definitely seals the deal for me to explore the field of insurance further and begin my professional career there as well,” he stated. “I ended up in a place many folks take 20-plus years to reach during their insurance career while I was still in college, and I think that deserves that much more consideration in deciding my future endeavors.”
Caesar encourages other students to consider the CIT program. “Sophomore and junior business students, please look into applying to the CIT certificate program,” he advised. “Open your mind to learning about a new industry you did not first consider. I can confidently say that you will not find another program that is so geared and designed for your betterment and to give you opportunities to grow and expand your own horizons. Be upstanding, do right by your education, and go apply. Dr. Andre comes to our career fair every year for recruitment, and I am often there to help. I would love to introduce anybody who is interested in the program.”
Reflecting on his time in London, Caesar concluded, “London is beautiful. It makes you want to exercise more, eat better, and recycle! It makes me want to be better for my own country. If you ever get the chance to go, please take it.”
