Willis Announces International Appointments in Global Placement Unit

Willis Group Holdings has announced a series of international appointments in Willis Global Placement, its newly formed entity that co-ordinates worldwide placement strategy for the benefit of Willis clients.

The company announced the following appointments:

· Nigel Roberts is appointed chief placement officer for Global Specialties and will report to Joe Trotti, CEO, Willis Global Specialties, with a matrix report to Dominic Samengo-Turner, CEO, Willis Global Placement. In addition to his new role, Roberts will continue to have responsibility within Global Specialties for Willis’ Shaping our Future programme – the Group’s strategy for profitable growth.

· Paul Ward is appointed regional placement officer for Asia, reporting to Roger Wilkinson, CEO, Willis Asia, with a matrix report to Tom Bartleet, chief placement officer, Willis International.

· Phil Jacobs is appointed regional placement officer for Continental Europe, reporting to Adam Garrard, CEO, Willis Continental Europe, with a matrix report to Bartleet. Jacobs will be relocating from Sydney to London.

· Edward Fyfe is appointed regional placement officer for Latin America, reporting to Eugenio Paschoal, CEO, Willis Latin America, with a matrix report to Bartleet. Fyfe will continue his role as Managing Director for Willis’ Latin American reinsurance operations while handling client-facing opportunities relating to energy.

· Tony Barber is appointed regional placement officer for Australasia, reporting to Bill Donovan, CEO, Willis Australasia, with a matrix report to Bartleet.

“The appointments we are announcing today will ensure a strong and close working relationship between Willis Global Placement and Willis Global Specialties and our local retail operations around the world, a relationship that will provide major benefits to our clients and to Willis,” said Samengo-Turner. “The concept behind Willis Global Placement is co-ordination, not centralisation,” Samengo-Turner added. “We will co-ordinate carrier relationships to ensure we only use carriers that provide the best service while consolidating certain books of business into facilities to give clients broader terms, and to allow Willis to trade more efficiently with underwriters.”

Willis Global Placement is organised in two areas: Willis Retail Placement, which is responsible for regional placements that are transacted in local territories, and Willis Global Markets, responsible for global placement activities that are transacted via offices in key insurance hubs like London, Bermuda and Singapore.

Source: Willis,
www.willis.com