Hiscox appoints interim chair following Jonathan Bloomer yacht tragedy
Insurer Hiscox has appointed an interim chair following the death of Jonathan Bloomer earlier this week alongside tech giant Mike Lynch.
Bloomer was aboard the yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday morning, with five people since confirmed dead.
Hiscox appointed Bloomer as chair last year. He also worked as chair of Morgan Stanley’s European business since 2018, after holding senior roles as Arthur Andersen and Prudential.
Hiscox has now appointed senior independent director Colin Keogh, who will step into the role on an interim basis.
Keogh worked as Close Brothers for over 20 years, previously serving as CEO from 2002 to 2009, as well as sitting on the boards of Virgin Money and M&G.
In a statement earlier this week, after Bloomer had been reported as among those missing, Hiscox chief executive Aki Hussain said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy.”
Bloomer and his wife Judy were confirmed dead yesterday by the Italian Coast Guard.
Following this confirmation, the Bloomer family said in a statement: “We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the emergency services and everyone who helped tirelessly in this rescue operation.
“Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren.
“Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now. This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder. Our only ask is that our family’s privacy is respected at this time.”