Swiss Re Capital Markets hires Ed Johnson as VP ILS Structurer

Swiss Re Capital Markets, the ILS and catastrophe bond structuring division and investment banking unit of the global reinsurance firm, has hired Edward Johnson from ILS specialist investment manager Leadenhall Capital Partners to take on the role of Vice President, ILS Structurer.

Johnson joined specialist insurance-linked securities (ILS) asset manager Leadenhall Capital Partners in 2015, taking on a business development role at the firm.

Swiss Re Capital Markets has hired Johnson to further strengthen its ILS structuring team, partly as a response to the bumper level of catastrophe bond activity seen in recent months.

Jean-Louis Monnier, Global Co-Head of ILS at Swiss Re Capital Markets, explained in an emailed statement; “Swiss Re’s ILS team is committed to develop and attract talent across London and New York and to lead innovation in the ILS market. Ed’s broad experience on both the buy and sell side further strengthens our global ILS structuring team at a time when the ILS market is booming.”

Prior to his time at Leadenhall Capital Partners, Johnson worked at Aon Benfield Securities as an Associate Director within the reinsurance brokers ILS structuring team. Before that he was an actuarial analyst at Lane Clark & Peacock LLP.

The recent rapid pace of ILS and catastrophe bond issuance activity could mean structuring and distribution teams need to staff-up, in order to meet the demands of the market, or risk an increasing number of transactions being privately or bilaterally placed.

Reinsurance firm Swiss Re is clearly responding to market forces and ensuring it has the depth of expertise in place to support a continuation of the recent level of ILS market growth.