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Monday, August 3, 2026

Howden Japan strengthens with two hires from BMS for newly established M&A unit

Tim Hewitt is appointed Head of M&A and Kaori Iwai as Manager.
June 25, 2025

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Global insurance broker Howden appointed two senior executives from BMS Group to lead its newly created Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) practice in Japan, the company announced on Wednesday.

The new hires include Tim Hewitt, who has been appointed Head of M&A. He served for more than two years as Representative Director and Japan Country Manager at BMS. He brings over 20 years of experience to the role, including senior positions at Marelli, and Colt Technology Services, among others.

His expertise enables him to be uniquely positioned to collaborate with advisers and clients to mitigate transaction risks through innovative insurance solutions,” Howden said.

Also joining from BMS Group is Kaori Iwai, who has been named Manager. She previously served as an Associate for the past year. Prior to that, she held roles at Mitsui & Co. Risk Solutions Ltd. as an Account Associate, and at HUB International as an Account Assistant.

The firm expressed confidence in Iwai’s appointment, describing her as having “a strong track record in placing complex insurance programmes across domestic and international markets, and is known for her exceptional client service and technical expertise.

The two are expected to drive the development of tailored M&A insurance solutions for Japanese corporates and investors, strengthening our regional capabilities and commitment to seamless cross-border support across Asia-Pacific.”

There has been a slew of key personnel changes at Howden this month, including John Philipsz appointed as Head of Australia and New Zealand, Grant Sheppard as Head of Marine & Logistics for the firm’s Australian unit, and HuiLeng Tan joining Howden Specialty’s Power & Renewables team in Singapore as Executive Director.

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