Monpelier Reinsurance Ltd has announced it has named Dr Gero Michel as its head of risk analytics, a new position with the company.Dr Michek will focus on enhancing Montpelier’s risk analysis efforts for natural catastrophe exposed business including research, development, portfolio optimisation and other underwriting initiatives. He will report directly to Christopher Schaper, president of Montpelier Reinsurance Ltd.“Gero brings a wealth of intellectual capabilities, business experience and leadership qualities to Montpelier, and I look forward to working with him,” Mr Schaper said. “Improving the assessment of risks and translating that knowledge into better underwriting decisions are key challenges in our industry, and the addition of Gero further strengthens our team in these areas.”Dr Michel has nearly three decades of experience analysing natural disasters and risk, most recently as managing director of Willis Research Network and Head of Product Development for Willis Global.Before that, he led international property catastrophe underwriting at Endurance Bermuda and headed climate model development at RMS and was senior analyst at Hannover Re DE and Hannover Re Bermuda.Dr Michel has a PhD and MSc in Geosciences from the Eberhard-Karls-Universitat Tübingen, Germany and has also completed executive education at Harvard Business School. Prior to working in the industry, he was an academic leader at the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam and lecturer at the University of Freiberg, Germany.