Latest Willis Towers Watson Headlines

All the headlines from our Willis Towers Watson Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Insurtech Investments and Valuations Soar Even As Some Startups Fail Fast

Jan 31 2020 // Insurtech investments reached an historic high in 2019 but last year also capped a three-year period where a good number of Insurtech startups called it quits.According to a new briefing on the sector from Willis Towers...

Natural Catastrophe Losses in 2019 Down 18% from Annual Average: Willis Re Report

Jan 23 2020 // Insured losses from major natural catastrophes in 2019 totaled roughly $53.0 billion, about 18% lower than the annual average since 2011, according to a report from Willis Re.This figure compares with Aon’s recently...

Willis Re Names Green as Head of Int’l Casualty Reinsurance, Philipsz as Australia CEO

Jan 21 2020 // Willis Re, the reinsurance broking business of Willis Towers Watson, announced the appointment of Cameron Green as head of its International Casualty Reinsurance practice as well as chair of Willis Re Australia.In this new...

January 2020 Reinsurance Renewals Varied Significantly, Brokers Say

Jan 13 2020 // The January 2020 reinsurance renewals saw significant variation in pricing and capacity depending on geography, line of business, cedents’ loss record and client relationships, according to two reports published by...

Willis Re Taps Buxton from Allianz as Managing Director, Int’l Customized Reinsurance

Jan 9 2020 // Willis Re, the reinsurance subsidiary of Willis Towers Watson, announced the appointment of Simon Buxton as managing director of its International Customised Reinsurance practice, which focuses on non-traditional...

January 2020 Reinsurance Renewals Varied Significantly, Brokers Say

Jan 6 2020 // The January 2020 reinsurance renewals saw significant variation in pricing and capacity depending on geography, line of business, cedents’ loss record and client relationships, according to two reports published by...

U.S. Commercial Insurance Prices Were Up 4% in Q3: WTW

Dec 16 2019 // U.S. commercial insurance prices accelerated during the third quarter of 2019, as the aggregate price change reported by carriers exceeded 4%, according to insurance broker Willis Towers Watson.WTS’s Commercial Lines...

U.S. Commercial Insurance Prices Were Up 4% in Q3: WTW

Dec 9 2019 // U.S. commercial insurance prices accelerated during the third quarter of 2019, as the aggregate price change reported by carriers exceeded 4%, according to insurance broker Willis Towers Watson.WTS’s Commercial Lines...

Political Risk Losses Up in 2019, Hitting 68% of Surveyed Firms: WTW

Dec 6 2019 // A survey of 41 major corporations by broker Willis Towers Watson found that 61% believe political risk levels increased in 2019 while 68% have actually suffered a political risk loss.Disruption of international trade was...

People & Places

Dec 2 2019 // W. R. Berkley Corp. announced the appointment of Daniel R. Westcott as president of Berkley Re America (BRAM). Westcott has 20 years of experience in the property and casualty reinsurance market. He joins Berkley from The...

Willis Re Securities Completes €120 Million Catastrophe Bond for France’s Covéa Mutual

Nov 19 2019 // Willis Re Securities reports it has structured and placed EUR 120 million of insurance-linked securities (ILS) to provide reinsurance capacity for Covéa Mutual Insurance Group, France’s largest domestic...

For 2020, Expect Biggest Commercial Insurance Hikes in Years: Willis Towers Watson

Nov 15 2019 // North American commercial insurance buyers will face sizable price increases in 2020, across most lines of insurance, according to insurance broker Willis Towers Watson’s 2020 Insurance Marketplace Realities.While...

Broker BMS Taps Willis Re’s Irvan as Chief Property Officer, U.S. Reinsurance

Nov 4 2019 // BMS Group, the London-based specialist re/insurance broker, announced the appointment of Jeff Irvan as chief property officer, U.S. reinsurance, reporting to BMS U.S. Reinsurance President Pete Chandler.The appointment is...

Insurtech Funding Reaches $4.4 Billion to Date in 2019, Blowing Past Full-Year 2018

Oct 25 2019 // Insurtech funding levels, reaching almost $4.4 billion in worldwide funding commitments through three quarters of the year, has already surpassed the 2018 full-year total, Willis Towers Watson announced Wednesday.According...

Willis Towers Watson Adds Lyft’s Hurley in California

Oct 16 2019 // Willis Towers Watson has named Joseph Hurley director or corporate risk and broking. He will work out of Willis Towers Watson’s Silicon Valley tech center in California, where he will lead the firm’s platform...

Willis Re Specialty Taps Aspen’s Harrell as Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer

Oct 2 2019 // Reinsurance broker Willis Re announced the appointment, with immediate effect, of Donald Harrell as managing director & chief operating officer of Willis Re Specialty. Harrell joins with more than 25 years’...

Willis Towers Watson, Sompo GRS Launch Middle Market Real Estate Platform

Sep 16 2019 // Willis Towers Watson has entered into a strategic partnership with Sompo Global Risk Solutions (GRS) to create an integrated insurance platform to serve the needs of the middle market commercial real estate segment.The...

Another Hard Market Harbinger: U.S. Commercial Lines Prices Up 4% in Q2

Sep 12 2019 // In yet another sign of a hardening market, U.S. commercial insurance prices grew at an accelerated rate compared to a year ago, according to Willis Towers Watson’s latest Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing...

Willis Towers Watson Appoints Garrard to Succeed Jones as Corporate Risk Leader

Aug 15 2019 // Global broker Willis Towers Watson has appointed Adam Garrard as leader for the Corporate Risk & Broking segment, effective immediately. Garrard replaces Todd Jones, who has accepted a position as CEO North America for...

Willis Towers Watson’s Jones Named North America CEO by QBE, Replacing Johnston

Aug 15 2019 // QBE Insurance Group has appointed Todd Jones to the role of CEO North America, succeeding Russ Johnston who the company said has decided to seek opportunities outside of QBE.Jones joins QBE from Willis Towers Watson where...