BMS lures Aon/Howden/WTW executives for Asia specialty lines expansion

Independent re/insurance broker  BMS has unveiled a number of senior hires from Aon, Howden and Willis Towers Watson as part of its Asian expansion strategy.

Dominic Morrison (pictured left) and Toby Hooker (pictured right) have joined the firm based in Singapore and Hong Kong, respectively. Morrison joins as director and Hooker as a broker, and both will be integral to  BMS Asia’s expansion into the specialty lines sector.

Most recently, Morrison led the fin/pro and specialty lines broking division at Howden Specialty Asia Pacific, with a focus on Southeast Asia and Australian business. Morrison began his career as an underwriter at QBE in London before specialising in Asian affinity business in Singapore. Experienced in offering tailored end-to-end solutions, both on a wholesale and reinsurance basis, he has worked with some of the largest retail banks' finance and leasing departments, manufacturers, and financiers across Asia.

Joining BMS Asia from the London insurance market, Hooker has worked in the industry since 2017, predominantly within financial institutions. He began his career at Willis Towers Watson in the major accounts division before specialising in the asset management and hedge fund space with AssuredPartners London.

Additionally, Cathy Lai and Sagar Mehta have joined  BMS as business development lead and associate director, respectively. Lai will be based in Hong Kong, with Mehta in Singapore.

Lai will be responsible for driving  BMS' business growth in Asia. She has more than 13 years’ experience in broking and advisory, predominantly in M&A insurance solutions and general insurance. She joins  BMS from Aon Hong Kong.

Mehta joins  BMS's fast growing and well-established private equity, M&A and tax practice. He has more than 10 years of working experience in broking and advisory, mostly spent on M&A insurance solutions and joins BMS from Willis Towers Watson in Singapore.

Sandra Lee, CEO of  BMS Asia, said: “Since our expansion into the region in 2020, we have assembled a team of highly talented individuals who have been the driving force behind our development. In addition, we are excited by the arrival in November 2022 of Ted Hodgkinson, the new executive chairman for  BMS Asia, who will ensure a collaborative and client centred approach across products and specialisms. It is a great testament that we continue to attract such fantastic talent with a diverse range of expertise. We are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome Dominic, Toby, Cathy, and Sagar to the BMS team.”

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