BMS Group has appointed Jani Kohonen as senior vice-president and Atlanta branch manager, effective January 29, 2020.

Kohonen will be based in Atlanta and will report to BMS Re US president and CEO Pete Chandler.

Prior to joining BMS, Kohonen served as vice-president at StarStone Insurance in Atlanta, overseeing the company’s ILS initiatives and underwriting strategy in the US E&S property space, He also worked at Aspen Insurance Group in New York, from 2007 to 2017, where he held several senior roles focused on catastrophe risk management. Kohonen started his insurance career with Arch Insurance Group in 2005; he currently has more than 15 years of insurance and risk market experience.

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

Chandler added that by welcoming market leaders like Kohonen to BMS, the company is looking forward to building out its product offering and strengthening its reinsurance operations in the US. The chief executive also drew particular attention to Kohonen’s specialized knowledge in catastrophe risk and existing market relationships, which will be invaluable assets to the Atlanta team.