BMS Group, the independent specialist insurance and reinsurance broker, announces today the appointment of Ryo Iizuka as a Director of the Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Tax (PEMAT) in Japan. Based in Tokyo, Iizuka will report to Tim Hewitt, Head of BMS Japan, and joins effective immediately. BMS’s Japan office has been operational since mid-2023, and Iizuka’s appointment rounds out the local team to a dynamic trio of experts from legal, investment banking, consulting, and insurance backgrounds. Iizuka joins with a wealth of experience with large global investment banking and M&A consulting firms, having worked in senior positions including at Deloitte, Accenture, and HSBC.
Iizuka will work alongside Tim Hewitt and Kaori Iwai (Associate) in response to the rising demand in Japan for independent and specialist advice, and representation for brokering tailored insurance solutions to mitigate complex risks across a range of transaction types. Iizuka’s multi decade M&A experience with a track record of implementing deal success strategies for Japanese and global businesses, including corporates and private equity firms, will immediately bolster BMS’s capabilities and client-first approach within the active M&A market in Japan.
BMS has expanded its presence in Asia over the past few years, with offices and multilingual experts also located in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Singapore. This growth enables BMS to provide comprehensive service across all major financial hubs in the region. As highlighted in BMS’s 2024 PEMAT report, there has been a resurgence in M&A activity in the Asian market and especially in Japan, which in turn has led to increasing demand for the services of its PEMAT team. Iizuka’s appointment reflects this growth and underscores BMS’s commitment to Japan and the wider region.
Hewitt said: “The appointment of Ryo gives our BMS team another dimension with his broad perspective and experience, particularly as an expert in advising corporates’ M&A strategies into and out of Japan. I’m looking forward to working with Ryo as my front-line partner as we continue to challenge the market with new solutions for insureds. We’ve had a great first year in Japan, and the hire of Ryo marks our dedication to delivering insurance solutions as strategic deal advisors.”
Iizuka added: “I cannot wait to start working with our colleagues around the world and building BMS’s challenger reputation in Japan with Tim and Kaori by contributing my M&A expertise to help develop and deploy new transaction insurance solutions for the insureds in Japan.”
