BGC’s Besso has hired four partners from the former JLT Fac division, The Insurance Insider can reveal.
Nikki Melbourne, James Kelly, Ross Beeden and Simon Richardson are all due to move, joining the outflow from the broker after its takeover by Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC).
The JLT Fac division was set up in January 2016 when the broker hired Vanessa Macdonald-Smith from Willis to run the unit.
This publication reported Macdonald-Smith’s departure from JLT in April, when she joined a number of senior figures to depart after retention bonuses were paid that month.
Julia Moretti, another partner in the fac unit, left in October 2018, shortly after the MMC takeover was announced.
Melbourne joined JLT in September 2018, having previously worked at RSA for three years, latterly as wholesale international lead underwriter. Her career includes stints at Mapfre Global Risks and Allianz.
Kelly joined in February 2016. He was previously a senior casualty broker at Endeavour Insurance Services, which is now part of SSL Endeavour. He has also worked at OAMPS – which is owned by Pen Underwriting – plus Lockton and AJ Gallagher.
Beeden broked both cyber and property reinsurance at JLT, while Simon Richardson worked in property.
Macdonald-Smith joined JLT in January 2016 to set up the fac division, which she ran from London. She had previously worked at Willis for eight years as managing director for London and international.
BGC acquired Besso in a deal announced in January 2017 and added Ed to its stable after a deal struck in October last year.
With former Ed CEO Steve Hearn at the helm of BGC’s insurance division, the company has made no secret of its growth ambitions.
In May this year, sources linked BGC to the sale of RFIB, although ultimately the business was bought by Tysers.
BGC’s insurance division has launched an aviation operation, having hired former Willis Towers Watson head of global broking Philip Smaje and Marcel Chad, former Marsh global aviation CEO.
Ed has also started a Bermuda office, having received regulatory approval for the venture in June.
Besso declined to comment.
Guy Carpenter was contacted for comment.