Bermudian re/insurance veteran Mark Simons has been appointed head of business development and production in the Bermuda office of Ed, the global reinsurance, wholesale and speciality broker.

His hiring is the latest in a series of personnel moves made by Ed since the Lloyd’s brokerage operation received regulatory approval to open an office in Bermuda earlier this year.

Mr Simons, who joins Ed next month, will focus on developing and fostering client relationships, the company said.

He joins from Marsh Bermuda where he was senior vice-president, Finpro. Mr Simons has held various senior roles across HSBC, JLT, Park, AIG and Aon in Bermuda over the last 20 years, with a particular focus on professional and casualty lines.

Chris Bonard, chief executive officer of Ed Bermuda, said: “It is fantastic to welcome such a senior Bermudian re/insurance professional to the Ed team here on the island. It’s a testament to the strength of what we are building and to the service we offer to clients that we continue to make high quality hires. Mark will bring great experience and understanding of our clients’ needs and we look forward to welcoming him to the team.”

Mr Simons said: “I’m impressed by the scope of Ed’s ambition in Bermuda and globally, and the way they are setting out to provide a distinct, independent service for clients. I believe there is significant demand for that offering and I’m very excited to become a part of the leadership team.”

In November, John Turner joined the company as chairman of Ed Bermuda.

Reporting to Mr Bonard, the newly-created role will enable Mr Turner to provide hands-on support to realise the potential of the recently formed operation, the company said.

Mr Turner joined from Aon, where he was most recently chairman, Aon Commercial Risk Solutions UK and Americas. He has more than 40 years’ experience in the re/insurance market, 30 of which have been in Lloyd’s broking. He has led teams covering property, casualty, terrorism, power, energy and construction, giving him both depth and breadth of knowledge across the industry, the company said.

Earlier, the company announced the appointment of Carrie Kelley as executive vice-president, head of property insurance, Bermuda. She will also report to Mr Bonard.

Ms Kelley has more than 16 years of industry experience, joining from Barbican Underwriting Bermuda, where she was underwriter of the property D&F portfolio. Prior to Barbican, Ms Kelley held roles as senior vice-president, property broker, at Bowring Marsh Bermuda, property facultative broker at Guy Carpenter Bermuda, and as vice-president and property broker at Marsh USA in Chicago.

Ed Bermuda is the on-island office of Ed Broking, which was set up in 2016. Earlier this year, the company was acquired by BGC Partners Inc, a global brokerage and financial technology company.

At launch, Ed said the Bermuda operation will provide its full range of multiline broking services, backed by the advanced application of technology through TradEd, its proprietary trading platform.

The company said it anticipates having up to 14 staff as it gears up during its first two years of operation.