The United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Robert Wood Johnson, will speak on a panel at the Bermuda Business Development Agency’s Executive Forum in London this month.

He will be joined on the panel by Sir Nicholas Soames, former UK defence minister and former Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, and David Burt, the Premier.

Fiona Luck, non-executive on the Lloyd’s of London Franchise Board and a veteran of Bermuda’s re/insurance industry, will act as moderator.

The economic relationship between Bermuda, the US and the UK will be the theme of the discussion and the panellists will explore the implications of global trends, address key challenges from Brexit to US tax reform, and shed light on new opportunities to further develop economic ties.

Under the theme “Navigating disruption for positive change”, the Bermuda Executive Forum London takes place on November 26. It will bring together government officials, regulators and industry leaders for a full-day agenda of panel discussions and keynotes across a range of sectors including re/insurance, asset management, family offices, financial services and technology. A networking reception will close the event in the evening.

Roland Andy Burrows, chief executive officer of the BDA, said: “We look forward to welcoming Ambassador Johnson and Sir Nicholas Soames to our forum in London. Their participation, alongside our Premier, will ensure a dynamic and informative start to the day.

“The US and the UK are highly valued Bermuda partners and we have long enjoyed robust, mutually beneficial relationships that continue to thrive in many areas. As world-leading and innovative financial centres there’s clearly a lot of common ground for collaboration where we can work together to grow business and investment for the benefit of all.”

Ambassador Johnson was nominated by US President Donald Trump on June 22, 2017. He made his first official visit to Bermuda in July this year when he spoke about the strength and long-term nature of Bermuda’s relationship with the US and expressed his admiration for the island’s unique capabilities and world-class expertise.

A prominent businessman and philanthropist, Ambassador Johnson served for more than 30 years as the chairman and CEO of The Johnson Company, a private asset management firm founded in 1978, and as chairman and CEO of the New York Jets NFL team and New York Jets Foundation. He is the founding chairman of the Lupus Research Alliance and worked for many years with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Sir Nicholas, former Conservative Party grandee and grandson of the great wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, was the UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 1994-1997. Having previously worked as a stockbroker and on the staff of a US senator in Washington DC, he has specialist knowledge in the fields of Europe, defence, international affairs, aviation and trade and industry.

He also has a longstanding involvement in the insurance and reinsurance business as a senior adviser to Marsh, the brokerage and risk management adviser. In March this year, Sir Nicholas met with Mr Burt as part of a wider Bermuda Government trip to the UK and Brussels.

Mr Burrows added: “Against a backdrop of global economic and digital disruption, our event provides a platform for an open dialogue on how best to embrace change to bring about positive transformations and future growth.

“It is an ideal opportunity to directly engage with partners in the UK market, to share knowledge and forge new connections with prospective businesses and investors who would benefit from Bermuda’s global connectivity combined with its quality, stability and ease of doing business.”

The BDA forum builds on a two-day event held in London last year opened by the Premier with more than 50 experts as speakers and panellists. The event attracted close to 200 delegates encompassing a wide range of industries, and featured the UK’s Chris Holmes, Lord of Richmond MBE, and Brian Duperreault, the Bermudian CEO of American International Group.

For more information, visit www.bda.bm