A co-founder of Validus Re has joined the advisory board of insurtech firm Insurdata.Stuart Mercer was chief risk officer when Validus Re was established among a wave of new reinsurers on the island that became known as the “Class of 2005”.Insurdata is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It said Mr Mercer brings decades of industry experience to its board with a career spanning insurance, reinsurance and ILS.The company said: “He has extensive knowledge of the value of precise, high-resolution data in the underwriting cycle having served as CEO and Founder of Ventus Risk Management, a technology and analytics-focused provider of coastal property insurance, and having previously cofounded Validus Re.”Insurdata specialises in the correction, creation and augmentation of peril-specific exposure and risk data via the Insurdata Platform.