Willis Towers Watson
In 1828 Henry Willis began his career as a merchant selling imported goods on commission in the UK at the Baltic Exchange in London.
Willis applied for membership of Lloyd’s in 1848, where he started to broker insurance for the cargoes of commodities he sold on commission. As his enterprise grew, he became involved in the hull business, establishing himself in marine insurance and founding Henry Willis & Company.
Today WTW, created by the merger of Willis and Towers Watson in 2016, aims to provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital to help make organization more resilient, motivate workforces, and maximize performance. It operates in 140 countries and markets.
Willis' net income for Q1 2011 drops by £103m
Willis Group Holdings first quarter results for 2011 have revealed a reported net income of $34m (£20.6m), or $0.20 per diluted share, compared with $204m, or $1.20 per diluted share, in the same period a year ago.
Regulatory burden on brokers is heavier than tax
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) has warned that the regulatory burden imposed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on the insurance broking sector is a greater competitive disadvantage than the amount of corporation tax it pays.
New player enters high end liability market
Lloyd’s broker Kite Warren & Wilson (KWW) is targeting the high end SME asset manager and Lloyd’s managing agents market with a suite of new liability products.
New Aberdeen office for Willis
Willis has opened a new office in Aberdeen to develop business in the city and complement Willis’ existing presence in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.
Reportage: Facing up to networks
With networks increasing in popularity, Emmanuel Kenning recounts their development and looks to the future of this crucial market sector.
Market moves: Winds of change sweep the country
Snow flurries in Scotland were matched only by the blizzard of job announcements in the region with Lockton, Heath Lambert, Aspen and RSA all unveiling changes.
Japan Earthquake will not trigger hard market, says Willis Re
Relatively orderly price movements at the 1 April Japanese reinsurance renewals have indicated that the Tohoku Earthquake is not the catalyst that will bring about a hard market, according to Willis Re.
Scarrett out at Willis Networks
Willis has announced that MD of its networks proposition, Phil Scarrett, will leave the business at the end of the month.
News analysis - professionalism: brokers slow to embrace Aldermanbury Declaration
The Aldermanbury Declaration is a year old this month and the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has signed up nearly 200 brokers, insurers, loss adjusters, claims companies and managing agents. However, despite this early success, particularly with…
Willis Networks gains six new recruits
Six new members have joined Willis Networks, its alliance with local, independent insurance brokers in the UK.
Willis exec jumps ship for rival broker
Executive director and major client advocate at Willis Finex Global, Mike Earp, has resigned to take up a senior post at Aon, Insurance Age understands.
Willis revenue rises as commissions increase 3%
Willis has announced a 2% rise in revenues to $3.34bn (£2.08bn) for the year ended 31 December 2010 (2009: $3.26bn).
TEn commits to Aldermanbury
TEn Insurance has become the first stand-alone network to sign the Aldermanbury Declaration.
Keynote speakers revealed for Biba 2011
The keynote speakers for this year’s the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) conference have been confirmed as Greg Case, president and CEO of Aon Corporation, explorer Ed Stafford who was the first man to walk the length of the Amazon and…
HSB appoints London and South East regional manager
Sian Williams, regional broking director at Willis, has moved to HSB Engineering as regional manager for London and the South East.
Reportage - training delivery: Digital vs. face to face
Traditionally, training has been about face-to-face contact but there has recently been an increase in online offerings, which claim to provide the same quality of tuition with less cost and increased convenience. Edward Murray looks at the pros and cons…
Focus - Broker funding: Finding your way through
With the major banks still cautious about lending, brokers are finding it tough to access funding for growth. Rachel Gordon looks at the options.
The PB Interview - Laurent Matras: Through the storm
Laurent Matras, managing director at Groupama Insurances, tells Andrew Tjaardstra about the state of the insurance market and how he is working closely with brokers to give his firm a competitive advantage.
Five new members join Willis Networks
Five new members have joined Willis Networks, bringing its combined membership to 111 firms.
Willis Networks appoints regional MDs
Willis Group Holdings has announced the appointment of two new regional managing directors for Willis Networks.
News round-up: Business continuity
According to research from the Business Continuity Institute on behalf of the Chartered Insurance Institute, insurance professionals need a more consistent message when promoting the benefits of business continuity plans.
News review: October
The founder and chairman of direct insurer Esure, Peter Wood, revealed that 2014 would be the earliest date that the company would launch an initial public offering.
Willis net income remains flat during first nine months
Willis has reported a drop in net income to $64m for Q3 2010 (Q3 2009: $78m) and net income for the nine months ending 30 September 2010 of $357m, which is the same figure as last year.
Willis opens new Birmingham office
Willis Group Holdings has opened a new office in Birmingham's jewellery quarter.