Howden Re Inspire: Meet Sidney Bewlay
In our Howden Re Inspire series, we are proud to showcase our amazing team.
It's important to us that the businesses and divisions within Howden Re reflect and contribute to the culture that we at Howden are so proud of. We are a global business with an entrepreneurial mindset, and we put our people first in everything we do. We value independent thinkers, celebrate different perspectives and experiences, and strive to make Howden a great place to work.
Our collaborative approach and collective power make us an industry leader, but it's our people who make it possible.
Whether they're forging a unique path in or outside business, leading the way on community impact, giving back, or D&I initiatives, or demonstrating what it takes to make a difference, we are proud to introduce you to our team.
Be Inspired by: Sidney Bewlay, Associate Director, Communications, Howden Re
Sidney Bewlay joined Howden Re's Marketing and Communications team in late 2024, bringing with her a background that is anything but conventional for the reinsurance industry. Before making the move, she spent nearly three years as a reporter at a local NBC affiliate: pitching stories, filming, writing, editing, and reporting and anchoring live on air. It was fast-paced, hands-on work. But more importantly, it brought her close to the real-world consequences of risk.
Sidney’s interest in reinsurance began while covering natural disasters in Vermont.
Reporting from the ground during repeated major floods, she saw firsthand what recovery looks like when protection falls short. The stories stayed with her, not just the damage, but the decisions people were forced to make.
"Seeing someone say, 'I have nowhere to go' or 'I can only afford to build in the same spot that's going to flood again' was an eye-opening way to understand the real impact on people who have strong insurance, and on those who don't," she says.
That experience shaped how she sees the industry today. While she had some familiarity through family connections, it was her frontline experience that made reinsurance feel truly meaningful.
"Insurance and reinsurance can be misunderstood, but I have seen firsthand what it means when people don’t have coverage, or their coverage isn’t protective enough," she says. "I want to help close that knowledge gap by showing the real-world impact this industry has through communications."
Life at Howden Re
The shift from journalism to Howden Re wasn’t a departure, it was a continuation. At the core of both roles is the same challenge: taking complex information and making it accessible to people who need it.
"That's what drew me to news, and it's what brought me here," she says. "Our reports aren’t just technical, they connect what’s happening in the real world and try to find creative solutions to bridge those protection gaps.”
Working remotely from Vermont, Sidney has found a team culture that is open, supportive, and focused on development, both personal and professional.
“Everyone I’ve met is willing to answer questions, no matter their role,” she says. “You’re trusted to take on projects and learn along the way, but you’re never on your own.”
Making Strides for Cystic Fibrosis Research
This month is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and Sidney’s connection to the cause is personal, and it shapes how she thinks about her work. She is participating in Great Strides, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual fundraising walk, as part of the Northern New England chapter.
Cystic fibrosis is a rare, genetic disease that impacts the lungs and pancreas, making it hard for patients to breathe and digest food. Her connection to the cause is personal. Diagnosed as an infant, she has spent much of her life navigating treatment, care and access.
She began Trikafta, a breakthrough therapy, in 2019, and it has transformed her day-to-day life. But access to that treatment hasn’t always been easy.
“That medication has a sticker price of more than $28,000 for a 28-day supply,” she says. “I’m grateful to have health insurance that can cover that, but in the past, I’ve had to navigate multiple hurdles with providers that were initially unwilling to cover the cost. And not everyone with CF can access this medication or is eligible to take it.”
That experience has given her a clear view of the gaps that still exist, between innovation, affordability and access.
She continues to support the CF Foundation through fundraising and as a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Board at the University of Vermont Medical Center, helping connect patients, clinicians and advocacy groups within the hospital’s Cystic Fibrosis Center.
With federal research funding under pressure, she sees grassroots efforts as increasingly important.
“The awareness and funding gaps are real,” she says. “Community support makes a huge difference in the care patients receive, whether it’s access to food, medication, or treatments.”
You can find out more about Sidney’s Great Strides fundraising here: https://fundraise.cff.org/BurlingtonVT2026/Team/View/223518/Great-Strides-with-Sid