Tributes have been paid to a finance veteran and former Halesowen Grammar School pupil following his death in the sinking of a luxury yacht in Sicily. 

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, aged 70, and his wife Judy were aboard the Bayesian superyacht, which sank earlier this week, along with tech mogul Mike Lynch. 

The couple were on a trip with Mr Lynch following his court victory in June when the tragedy struck. 

Mr Bloomer was born in West Bromwich with his twin brother Jeremy in 1954 and was educated at Halesowen Grammar School. 

Residents have expressed their sadness and shared fond memories of Mr Bloomer from his time at the school before he went on to study at Imperial College London. 

The 70-year-old was an experienced businessman and chairman at a number of top firms including banking giant Morgan Stanley and insurance group Hiscox. 

He embarked on a career in finance when he joined American accounting firm Arthur Andersen, where he worked for two decades and became a partner based in London.

Jonathan and Judy Bloomer Jonathan and Judy Bloomer (Image: Family Handout/PA Wire)

In a tribute, the Bloomer family have described the couple as "incredible people and an inspiration to many" following their deaths off the coast of Italy. 

They said: "We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the emergency services and everyone who helped tirelessly in this rescue operation.

"Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren.

"Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now.

"This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder. Our only ask is that our family’s privacy is respected at this time." 

A number of Mr Bloomer's colleagues have also paid tribute to the businessman. 

Morgan Stanley chief executive Ted Pick said: "Jonathan’s leadership and experience helped the firm manage a period of complex change for our international businesses.

“He has been a friend and mentor to many and we will all greatly miss his wise counsel and spirit of kindness."

Hiscox chief executive Aki Hussain added: "It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefited from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as chair of Hiscox.

"His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent chair and a person I was proud to know and work with.

"His advice and support were immensely valuable to me and he will be dearly missed."