RG Podcast

In this inspiring episode of Best Health, join our host Carrie as she sit downs with Kim Hogg, the incredible woman who embarked on a journey to transform her health and life. Starting with a vision of becoming the best version of herself, Kim shares her experience of losing an astonishing 80lbs using a compassionate, flexible dieting approach. This conversation is a testament to the power of resilience, self-love, and the limitless potential within us all.

Update: Since the time of recording, Kim Hogg has successfully achieved her goal of losing 100 pounds, further demonstrating her dedication and perseverance in her health journey.

Kim is a traveling teacher who has spent the last 23 years internationally. This is her second time in Bermuda, a treasured place that has held her steady through change and growth both personal and professional. When not at the gym or wrangling a classroom of adolescents, you can find her at home with a book, at the yoga studio, or watching the surf. She is a collector of hobbies and is always looking to learn something new. She is grateful for the love and support of her community who have stood by her on this journey to better health and wellbeing. Their encouragement and celebration have made the hard days endurable and the good days joyful. 

Sponsor: Lindo's

Listen into Part 7 of the Bermuda Bankers Association Series on Elder Abuse. Special guest Mercedes Pringle-DeSilva joins us in the study to discuss this important topic.

Mercedes Pringle is the Executive Director of Age Concern Bermuda, the island’s leading nonprofit advocating for the rights and well-being of adults aged 50 and over. She began her journey with the organization in 2018, progressively advancing through key operational roles before being appointed Executive Director in 2023 and has led the organization's growth since then.

Mercedes and her team are matchmakers of resources, connecting thousands of older adults each year with vital support in healthcare, financial aid, education, and long-term care. Her leadership is grounded in a deep personal commitment to her own family elders and making Bermuda an age-friendly community where seniors are empowered, respected, and supported.

Sponsored by Bermuda Bankers Association

www.bermudabankers.org

In this episode, pediatric physiotherapist Caroline Roque joins us to explore how early movement shapes a child’s physical development. We dive into tummy time, motor milestones, screen time, and what every parent should know to help their kids build strong foundations from infancy. Whether you're a new parent or a seasoned one, this conversation is packed with practical tips and empowering insights.

Caroline Roque is a Registered Physiotherapist. She earned a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in Physiotherapy from Huddersfield University in 2002. During her undergraduate training, she began to focus her attention on pediatrics completing her final placement at Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia. She moved to Bermuda in 2010 and worked for 15 years at the Department of Health 

Sponsor: Lindo's

Listen in to Part 6 of the series with the Bermuda Bankers Association and special guest Dianne Blais: Planning for Retirement

Dianne McLeod-Blais is a Vice President and Sr. Wealth Advisor in charge of our dedicated Financial Planning and Wealth Advisory team that sits within Private Banking. She has over 25 years of experience in financial planning and wealth management for international clients.

Prior to joining Butterfield, Dianne was the Executive Vice President, Financial Planning and Investments for Barrington Investments Limited (Bermuda). Before joining Barrington, she held various wealth management positions with financial institutions in Canada.

Dianne earned her Certified Financial Planner designation (Canadian Institute of Financial Planning) in 1999 and obtained her Masters in Financial Services from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Dianne is also an Elder Planning Counselor (Canadian Initiative for Elder Planning Studies), a Certified International Wealth Manager (Canadian Securities Institute), and a Fellow of both the Canadian Securities Institute and the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

www.bermudabankers.org

Join us on the Best Health podcast as host Carrie Lee Astwood interviews Dr. Carika Weldon, founder of CariGenetics. Discover the transformative power of genetic testing and its impact on personalized healthcare. Dr. Weldon shares insights on her DNA kits, the importance of genetic testing, and how understanding our genetics can enhance mental and physicalperformance.

Dr Carika Weldon, PhD, MRSB, FIBMS (Founder, CEO, and Director of Research) is a Bermudian biochemist and the first sole black female founder of a genomics company in the world. She received her Bachelor of Science honours degree in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Leicester, then went on to complete her Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry at the same university. In 2015, Dr Weldon became the youngest full-time Lecturer in Biomedical and Medical Sciences at De Montfort University in the UK. In 2016, Dr Weldon founded the Bermuda Principles Foundation (BPF), to make a worthwhile contribution to Bermudian society in both the education and science tourism sectors. In November 2018, Dr Weldon returned to full-time research, working as a Research Scientist within the Oxford Genomics Centre at the University of Oxford. In April 2020, called by the Bermuda Government, Dr Weldon returned to Bermuda to expand testing capacity for COVID-19 and was appointed as Science Advisor to the Premier for COVID-19 and Laboratory Director of the government’s Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, which she created. Dr Weldon was granted a Queen’s Certificate & Badge of Honour in November 2020. Currently, Dr Weldon is an adjunct lecturer at the Bermuda College, teaching Molecular Medicine, along with her current role at CariGenetics. She is focused on ensuring the research culture the pandemic fostered amongst healthcare professionals and the general public is harnessed for a healthier future for Bermuda. 

Sponsor: Lindo's

Listen in to Part 5 of the series with the Bermuda Bankers Association and special guest Simon Van de Weg from Clarien: Borrowing Money – mortgages, credit cards and debt management

Simon Van de Weg – Chief Banking Officer

Simon leads Clarien’s Lending, Retail and Corporate Banking business and is responsible for managing high value customers and special project initiatives.

Prior to joining Clarien in 2015, Simon was Finance & Credit Director with Intelsat, Luxembourg. In this role he customised credit policy and solutions to mitigate customer, transaction and financial risks. From 2004 to 2008, he held the post of Vice-President, Structured Finance and Letters of Credit with Butterfield Bank, Bermuda after a previously progressing through various banking roles in investments and product management.

Simon is a CMA/CPA, holds an Associate in Reinsurance designation and graduated from Dalhousie University in Canada

Sponsored by Bermuda Bankers Association

www.bermudabankers.org

Tune in as we sit down with William Campbell and Aaron Crichlow of Bermuda is Love to discuss healthcare as a basic human right, barriers to access, and what we can do to create a healthier Bermuda for all.

Bermuda Is Love is a community-driven charity founded in August 2020 to create a more just and compassionate Bermuda. Their mission is to ensure access to food, housing, clothing, healthcare, education, justice, and a healthy environment for all. Through initiatives like trash cleanups, blooddrives, free clothing giveaways, school breakfasts, health clinics, legal advice clinics, and scholarship programs, they work to support those in need. The organization also advocates for systemic change, striving to build a society where everyone can flourish and achieve their dreams.

Instagram: @bdaislove

Website: www.bermudaislove.com

Sponsor: Lindo's

Listen in to Part 4 of this podcast series with Bermuda Bankers Association: Saving and Investing

Geoff Scott has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including leadership roles in risk management, business development and client relationship management. He assumed progressively senior positions as a commercial banker with leading Canadian banks and transitioned to Barbados in 2012 as the Chief Risk Officer at a leading Caribbean commercial bank, where he successfully led several change initiatives which strengthened the risk culture and alignment with business strategies. Subsequently, Geoff was Chief Executive Officer at Barbados’ leading composite insurance company.

Geoff is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Bermuda Bankers Association, where he represents the banking industry with advocacy, education and communications aimed at a range of stakeholders.

Geoff is Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Turks and Caicos Islands Financial Services Commission, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of National Commercial Bank of Anguilla. Geoff is a Chartered Director accredited by the Caribbean Governance Training Institute.

Sharmaine La has been with Butterfield for 17+ years, starting out as a Management Trainee and currently working in the Retail Banking area. She has had the opportunity of collaborating on various retail product projects and system upgrades over the years and created and maintains a thriving employee recognition program for customer facing employees under the Retail banking umbrella. Her favourite aspect of the job however, involves actively serving on Butterfield’s employee engagement team and educating students and young adults on financial literacy.

Kevin Grant is a Senior Portfolio Manager with over 35 years of experience in investment services, business development, investor relations, financial consulting and securities-transaction-related activities. Joining Butterfield in 2013, Kevin has worked extensively in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, providing these services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. Mr. Grant has extensive knowledge of the alternative investments industry, covering various capital structure arbitrage and credit-related strategies, including structured products. Kevin has a B.B.A. in Finance from Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. He has completed the C.F.A. Level I and the Series 7 General Securities Representative examinations, as well as extensive investment product and client service training programmes at both Smith Barney (Citigroup) and Edward Jones Investments.

Sponsored by Bermuda Bankers Association

www.bermudabankers.org

Meet Caitlin Conyers & Tiffany Paynter, the visionaries behind Treehouse Bermuda, as they share their journey, their mission for inclusive wellness, and how they are reshaping the yoga landscape in Bermuda.

Tiffany and Caitlin founded Treehouse in 2024 to help present and future generations feel better in their mind, body and heart by awakening their innate capacity for self-healing and personal transformation through yoga. After years teaching and/or practicing yoga both founders noticed a lack of diversity in local yoga classes and felt that was a problem worth solving given the numerous benefits of yoga for the mind and bod. 

Through Treehouse Caitlin and Tiffany have intentionally cultivated a community of diverse and genuine yoga and pilates teachers who are not only skilled in guiding others but are also committed to their own daily practices. Currently, Tiffany is CEO of Treehouse and teaches several classes a week and manages day to day operations at Treehouse, while Caitlin is CFO and manages Treehouse finances. 

www.treehousebda.com

Sponsor: Lindo's

Tanya Bule was appointed as Head of Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC on 1 May 2020. Before her promotion to Interim Head of Wealth & Personal Banking (previously known as Retail Banking Wealth Management (RBWM)) in September 2019, Mrs. Bule joined the Bank in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer of the RBWM HSBC global line of business. Prior to that Mrs. Bule worked as an independent financial services consultant in the Middle East and before that she held a variety of management consultancy positions in financial services, banking (with Bank of Bermuda), the technology sector, as well as sales & leasing within the telecoms industry.

Sponsor:  Sponsored by Bermuda Bankers Association www.bermudabankers.org