Melis Otmar is the Claims Director of H&D Marine at BMS Group.  She has over 16 years of experience in handling complex and high-value marine insurance claims with a prior background in shipping. She has been with BMS Group for 12 years now and she has the role of servicing and managing the handling of P&I, H&M, LOH, Charterer’s Liability and Marine Cargo claims of Clients predominantly from Germany, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Denmark, USA and Canada. Prior to joining BMS Group, Melis was with HSBC Insurance Brokers as a member of their marine claims team.

After she graduated from Robert College in Istanbul Turkey, she went to the States for her undergraduate studies and obtained her BA from Johns Hopkins University. She moved to London in 2002 and after receiving her Masters Degree in Shipping, Finance and Trade from The Cass Business School in 2004, she immediately started her marine insurance claims broking career.

Since then she has qualified as a Lloyd’s broker in 2005, an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 2011 and an Associate Member of the Association of Average Adjusters in 2015.

She is the current Chairperson of the LIIBA Marine Claims Sub-Committee.