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 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.
Willis develops group mining practice
Willis has brought the leaders and teams of its main mining businesses under one umbrella to create a worldwide group practice, reporting to Steve Hearn, London-based chairman of global markets international.
The PB Interview - Tim Ryan: Local hero
Andrew Tjaardstra meets Tim Ryan in Ipswich, where he is fighting hard against the recession and the force of the consolidators.
Editor's comment: Commercial rates still not good enough
As revealed in our latest Sentiment Survey, there is still a considerable problem in the commercial market when it comes to rate strengthening.
Reportage - state of the market: Caring for the community
There was a time when networks were touted as the best alternative to brokers that did not want to sell out to a consolidator. Louise Meeson assesses the current state of the market and asks if the same arguments in support of network membership still…
Injury claims costs in motor rising by nearly a third a year, claims Towers Watson
The cost of injury claims in the UK car insurance market has grown recently by nearly 30% per annum according to Towers Watson.
Xchanging hires new broking chief from Marsh
Xchanging has announced the appointment of former CEO of the specialities and large accounts division of Marsh, Artur Niemczewski, as managing director of Xchanging Broking Services (XBS).
Viewpoint: The pros and cons of commission disclosure
Evolution Underwriting CEO Paul Upton evaluates the pros and cons of commission disclosure for large and small brokers as the transparency of the current model comes under scrutiny by professionals in the US and the UK as well as by the European…
News review: August
Axa Insurance customer experience director, Paul Meehan, expressed interest in filling the senior management vacancy in the company's commercial division.
Interview: The almost great and the good
Martin Friel talks to Theo Duchen and David McDonald about how Acturis is over-delivering in professionalism and efficiency in a bid to achieve greatness
Willis teams up for Patentwize
Willis Group Holdings has announced it is partnering with Innography to launch Willis PatentWize, an enterprise-wide business intelligence solution designed to help companies better manage their intellectual property risks.
Confidence grows as broker recruitment activity picks up
Broker recruitment activity has increased by between 50% and 60% this year, according to financial recruiting company Joslin Rowe.
Sullivan returns at Willis
Former AIG boss Martin Sullivan, who was in charge during the financial crisis, returns to work.
Willis to appeal Indian regulatory renewal rejection and form new joint venture
Willis Group Holdings is to appeal the decision by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) that it is "not inclined to accept" the license renewal application of the broker's joint venture in India, Willis India Insurance Brokers Pvt…
Brokers targeted with new PowerPlace appointment
Online commercial insurance marketplace PowerPlace has appointed Darren Rowe as sales director.
Willis report predicts further insurance rate softening in power sector
Insurance rates in the power sector are expected to soften further in 2010, despite the existence of many of the conditions that would normally lead to a hardening market, according to the latest Power Market Review from Willis.
Willis reports return to UK growth
Willis has reported net income from continuing operations for the quarter ended 30 June 2010 was $89m. The figure is above last year’s $87m in the same period.
Insurance industry prepares for Olympics red alert
The insurance industry has been warned to prepare for every eventuality, including a terrorist attack, in the lead up to the Olympics in 2012.
Willis slams Aon's stance on contingent commissions
Willis Group Holdings has responded to the announcement by Aon Corporation that it would resume accepting contingent commissions “where appropriate and legally permissible”.
Willis steps up contingent commission campaign
Willis Group Holdings has stepped up its campaign against contingent commissions by distributing a third-party white paper written by law firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge detailing what Willis describes as "the conflicts of interest created by the…
Rate increases stifled by 'fragile' global economy
Commercial rates remained flat during the first quarter of 2010, according to global professional services company Towers Watson.
Willis makes senior appointment
Willis Group Holdings has announced the appointment of Michael Neborak as executive vice president and group chief financial officer.
UIB boosts board with senior appointment
Insurance broker UIB has appointed Keith Anderson to the UIB Holdings Group board as group finance director.