Validus Holdings, a global provider of insurance, reinsurance and insurance-linked securities management, has appointed Romel Salam as executive vice president and group chief risk officer, effective April 2.

With nearly 25 years of industry experience, Salam currently serves as chief actuary and chief risk officer at Validus Reinsurance. Prior to joining Validus Re in 2010, he served as senior vice president at Transatlantic Reinsurance, where he spent 20 years in positions of increasing responsibility.

Salam will assume the role of chief risk officer from Stuart Mercer, one of the original founders of Validus, who will support the group's ongoing strategic initiatives.