Members Capital appoints Lord Chris Holmes MBE to strategic advisory board

Members Capital Management Limited, a Bermuda-based asset manager focused on bringing new sources of reinsurance capital to the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sector using digital and tokenized assets, has appointed UK public and private sector leader Lord Chris Holmes MBE to its strategic advisory board.

The company said that it expects Lord Holmes’ appointment will significantly enhance its strategic direction.

“His commitment to innovation and inclusivity aligns closely with our strategic initiatives of unlocking new sources of capital, and democratising access to the global private reinsurance markets,” the company explained.

Adding, “We are confident that Lord Holmes’s insights will help guide our mission to provide greater access to institutional-grade investment opportunities while meeting the needs of a prosperous future. Lord Holmes has been a prominent advocate for accessibility and inclusion, and a strong proponent of digital technologies.”

Recall that Members Capital Management launched earlier this year with well-known insurance-linked securities (ILS) industry executive Ben Fox in the Chief Investment Officer role.

Commenting on his appointment, Lord Holmes said, “I am honored to join Members Capital Management’s strategic advisory board. The company’s commitment to bringing innovative solutions to the global reinsurance market, while promoting a democratized investment approach, resonates deeply with my own values. I look forward to contributing to MembersCap’s mission and helping shape its future direction.”

“We are excited to welcome Lord Chris Holmes to our strategic advisory board,” added Lloyd Wahed, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, and CEO at MembersCap.

“His proven track record in championing innovation and navigating complex regulatory environments will not only guide our strategic vision, but also enhance our ability to deliver an exceptional product to our investment partners. We look forward to leveraging his insights, experience, and expertise, as we enter an extremely exciting growth period for the company.”

Lord Chris Holmes MBE is a Peer in the UK House of Lords and was the Diversity Advisers to the UK government’s Cabinet Office for almost 9 years.

He had also been a non-exec and Deputy Chair for UK broadcaster Channel 4 and in the past had been a Non Executive Director for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

He has been a thought-leader and adviser on the use of digital technology for public good and has sat in the House of Lords on committee’s focused on artificial intelligence, financial inclusion, digital skills, democracy and digital technology.

Members Capital Management expects to launch its flagship fund in Q1 2025, as it pursues its mission to “democratize reinsurance by matching the right capital with the right risks.”

This fund, said to be a first of its kind offering, is going to be denominated in both fiat (USD) and digital (USDC) currencies, focused on deriving returns from the global private reinsurance market.

The investment manager aims to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns that are uncorrelated, as is the mandate of ILS and reinsurance capital investment managers, but will utilise a digital asset strategy to both source differentiated capital and deliver a differentiated way to invest in reinsurance and ILS strategies.

Members Capital has also recently added Neil Cunha-Gomes, the former Head of Fintech and Digital Assets EMEA at SoftBank Vision Fund to its advisory board.

Cunha-Gomes has experience in digital assets, investment in innovative insurance solutions, and structured insurance transactions, through roles held at Deutsche Bank, Coller Capital and SoftBank Vision Fund.

Cunha-Gomes said, “I believe that MembersCap is leveraging a new technology to innovatively bring a much-needed new source and form of risk capital to the ILS market.

“If successful, MembersCap will not only facilitate increased insurance risk transfer by adding liquidity, transparency and accessibility, it will also further democratise access to a non-correlated risk premium for a much broader set of capital markets investors.”