Who is Jonathan Bloomer? Chairman and wife Judy reported missing after yacht sinks off Sicily

British businessman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy are among those missing after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning (August 19). The Morgan Stanley chairman was one of 22 people on board the vessel.

The British-flagged superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized when the area was hit by a tornado. It was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

The Italian Coastguard told PA News Agency Tuesday (August 20) that their working theory is that the six missing tourists became trapped on the yacht when it sank quickly. So far the search and rescue efforts have not yielded anything.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew on board were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat. One body, believed to belong to the ship's chef was recovered at the scene but is yet to be formally identified.

Read more: Mike Lynch yacht live updates as search resumes for tech tycoon and daughter after superyacht sinks

Read more: Who is Mike Lynch? Cambridge graduate reported missing after yacht sinks

Mr and Mrs Bloomer are two of six passengers who are still missing. This includes tech tycoon and Cambridge graduate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch, as well as Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda.

Mr Bloomer, aged 70, 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.

His wife, Judy Bloomer is a former director of property developer Change Real Estate along with her husband, according to the BBC. For more than 20 years she as been a trustee and supporter of Eve Appeal, a gynaecological caner reararch charity.

The charity's chief executive, Athena Lamnisos told the BBC she was "deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan, are among those missing".

Mr Bloomer was named in court records as a board member and chair of the audit committee of Autonomy, the software company founded by Mike Lynch. He held the chairman role from 2010 and 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, with reports suggesting the pair are close friends.

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