BMS hires former Guy Carpenter LatAm & Caribbean boss

Specialist re/insurance broker BMS Group has hired Aidan Pope as executive chairman of its Latin American and Caribbean business, effective January 2021.

Pope will focus on growing BMS’s operations and business network in Latin America and the Caribbean region. He will work closely with Jose Astorqui, CEO of BMS Latin America & Caribbean.

Pope has more than 38 years of insurance experience, with a particular focus on the Latin American and Caribbean reinsurance market. He was most recently the CEO of Guy Carpenter Latin America & Caribbean since 2009, before retiring in July 2019.

Prior to that, he held various senior roles at Benfield for over 22 years and exited the business as the CEO of its Latin America & Caribbean operation. He began his insurance career in 1982 at Clarkson Puckle in London.

Nick Cook, BMS Group chief executive, said: “We have been strategically investing in talent and resources to build up our specialty divisions across a range of lines and territories, with Latin America and the Caribbean as a key part of that strategy. Aidan’s ample expertise and well-deserved reputation in both the regional and global reinsurance markets make him an exceptional addition to BMS. We are very pleased to welcome Aidan.”

Astorqui added: “Aidan’s experience and relationships gained during his distinguished career in the Latin American and Caribbean reinsurance markets will be invaluable as we continue to invest and grow our reinsurance capabilities. I look forward to working with Aidan and delivering upon our ambitious plans in the region.”

Pope commented: “The Latin America and Caribbean client base is increasingly looking for options in the reinsurance broking market. BMS’s superior analytical capabilities, cat modelling expertise and global distribution capability mark its readiness to fill the position as the major alternative and to provide much needed choice. The team’s excellent client service has also made a strong impression across the region. I’m very excited to be joining BMS and I look forward to working with such a talented team.”