Former WeWork chief operating officer Shyam Gidumal has been nominated to stand for election as an independent director of Bermudian-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd at the company’s annual meeting of shareholders in May, its board of directors has announced.

The board added that Jean Hamilton will retire from the board at the May AGM.

Kevin J. O’Donnell, president and chief executive officer of RenaissanceRe, said: “On behalf of the RenaissanceRe executive team and my fellow directors, we are delighted to announce Shyam’s nomination to our board. Shyam brings a wealth of operational and advisory experience, and we look forward to his guidance and oversight as we continue to optimise our expanded platform.”

He added: “I would also like to thank Jean and recognise her distinguished service on our board during her 17-year tenure. The executive team and I have benefited greatly from her wise counsel, strategic thinking and diversity of viewpoint. We wish her all of the best in her retirement.”

James L. Gibbons, non-executive chair of RenaissanceRe, said: “The RenaissanceRe board is pleased to nominate Shyam for election by our shareholders. Shyam’s proven leadership across varied industries and innovative approach to operational change will support the board in overseeing RenaissanceRe’s expanded global footprint on behalf of our shareholders.”

He added: “The board also thanks Jean for her outstanding leadership over her tenure as director. We are grateful for the significant contributions she has made to the success of RenaissanceRe, in particular in her capacity as former chair of the compensation and corporate governance committee, active involvement across many of our committees, and most recently in her proactive role in advancing our environmental, social and governance strategy.”

The company said Mr Gidumal has more than 35 years of experience in operational leadership, digital transformation, and strategy development as a senior executive, board member, private equity investor and adviser.

He was most recently the COO and president of WeWork from 2020 to 2021, and previously a principal at EY, leading the consumer products and retail segment.

Mr Gidumal has also held several executive roles over his career, including at Worldcom (Asia), Acterna, Armstrong Furniture, and The Boston Consulting Group.