Familiar Face at Bermuda Weather Service Joins RPI2.0

Adding to its already-distinguished staff, the Risk Prediction Initiative (RPI2.0) recently welcomed Dr. Mark Guishard as its new Science Program Manager. RPI2.0— part of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)—works to create effective and efficient dialogue between scientists and (re)insurers involved in catastrophic risk by funding and showcasing academic research relevant to the (re)insurance industry and assisting in translating science into applications for the industry.

Dr. Guishard is familiar to many Bermudians, having served as the Director of the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) from 2006-2012 and, prior to that, as a Forecaster for the BWS since 1997. A Bermudian, Dr. Guishard obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of East Anglia (UK) and went on to receive his Ph.D. from Penn State (US) with a dissertation focusing on the meteorology of subtropical storms, hurricanes and extra-tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin.

During his time as Director of the Bermuda Weather Service, Dr. Guishard also served as an Adjunct Scientist at BIOS, where he taught courses for visiting university groups, gave public lectures, and participated in RPI science workshops. In conjunction with his duties at BWS, he served as Bermuda’s representative to the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) where he was appointed the English-speaking Vice Chair of the Regional Hurricane Committee. He also represented the WMO and Bermuda on the U.N. regional coordination group on tsunamis and other coastal hazards. After six years as Director of BWS, Dr. Guishard broadened his professional expertise by working as a “cat modeler” (catastrophe risk analysis and modeling) for a Bermuda-based reinsurance company.

With these diverse experiences as a background, Dr. Guishard was keen to join RPI2.0 as Science Program Manager—a position that would allow him to interact directly with the (re)insurance members, as well as manage RPI2.0-funded research projects. Dr. Guishard says that he is “happy to be working with fellow scientists to better understand natural hazards and produce results that are not only academic in nature, but include applications that are relevant to the (re)insurance industry.”

RPI2.0 and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) are pleased to welcome Dr. Mark Guishard to its staff and look forward to working with him on providing what’s needed for using today’s science to make better business decisions tomorrow. For more information about RPI2.0, please visit their website at rpi.bios.edu.