Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), chair of former Stonebridge owner SDL Group and Morgan Stanley International’s chair, is missing along with others in a yacht accident in Sicily.
According to news reports, Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer are among those missing after the Bayesian yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, near Porticello in the North West of the island, early on Monday morning due to bad weather.
Reports say that around six people are missing, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. There were around 22 people on board, with 15 surviving and one body having been identified as the ship’s cook.
Bloomer has been the chair of Morgan Stanley International for nearly eight years, and is also the chair of insurance company Hiscox, legal and business service firm DWF and European fund manager Arrow Global.
He is also the chair of SDL Group Holdings, a role he has held for around 10 years. The firm previously owned mortgage network Stonebridge.
Stonebridge was founded in 1988, with SDL Group – then known as Shepherd Direct – acquiring a 49% stake in the business in 2015. The firm went on to grow its stake to 100% in 2018.
SDL Group has since been separated, with Mortgage and Surveying Services set up as a trading division in 2019. Stonebridge and SDL Surveying now sit in this area of the business.
It is understood that while SDL Group does not own the business anymore, there are still a lot of connections between the firms, with many people aware of Bloomer or knowing him directly.
The network has over 1,100 mortgage and protection advisers with over £12bn of mortgage lending per year, according to its website.
Rob Clifford, chief executive of Stonebridge, said: “This is shocking news, and we await in hope for a positive outcome. Meanwhile, we have sent our heartfelt wishes to Jonathan’s family at this anxious and terrible time.”
The investigation and rescue operation are ongoing.
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
