BMS hires former StarStone and Aspen exec as SVP

Broker BMS Group (BMS) has hired of Jani Kohonen from StarStone Insurance as senior vice president and Atlanta branch manager. He will be based in Atlanta and reports to Pete Chandler, president & CEO of BMS Re US.

Kohonen has over 15 years’ experience in the insurance and risk market. Before joining BMS, he was vice president at StarStone Insurance in Atlanta, overseeing its ILS initiatives and underwriting strategy in the US E&S property space.

Kohonen also worked at Aspen Insurance Group in New York between 2007 and 2017, where he held a number of senior roles, with a particular focus on catastrophe risk management. Kohonen began his career at Arch Insurance Group in 2005.

Chandler said: “We have seen an increase in demand for the type of tailored insurance solutions and personalised advice that BMS is renowned for among our client base and beyond. We are therefore committed to expanding our team and further increasing our presence in the US throughout 2020.

“With market leaders like Jani joining BMS, we look forward to building out our product offering and strengthening our US reinsurance operations. Jani’s specialised knowledge in catastrophe risk and market relationships will be an invaluable asset to the team and we would therefore like to welcome him warmly to BMS.”