A top City boss has said he is “deeply shocked and saddened” as he confirmed business veteran and Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife are among those missing on the yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily.
British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter are also missing, while the BBC reported that Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo was also unaccounted for after the incident.
The yacht, named Bayesian, sank during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.
Aki Hussain, the group chief executive of Hiscox, where Mr Bloomer is non-executive chairman, issued a statement as the search for six missing tourists continues.
Mr Hussain said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.”
Mr Bloomer is a prominent businessman who holds a number of boardroom roles, following an extensive career in financial services.
He was the chief executive of global finance group Prudential between 2000 and 2005, and is currently chair of Morgan Stanley International, as well as Hiscox and property business SDL.
Furthermore, Mr Bloomer was named in court records as a board member and chair of the audit committee of Autonomy, the software company founded by Mr Lynch.
He held the chairman role from 2010, where he was responsible for overseeing the firm’s financial reporting and governance.
Earlier this year, Mr Lynch was cleared of charges alleging he orchestrated a fraud and conspiracy leading up to the sale of Autonomy to US firm Hewlett Packard (HP) for £8.6 billion.
Mr Bloomer was among those to give evidence as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.
Meanwhile, Chris Morvillo, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance and who is also reported to be missing, represented Mr Lynch during the long-running criminal fraud trial where he was eventually cleared of all charges.
In June, Mr Lynch thanked his legal team for “their tireless work on my behalf” and said he was “looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field”.
The search for Mr Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter and missing passengers and crew on board the superyacht resumed on Tuesday.
Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard – including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.
