Willis Global appoints new COO

Broker Willis has appointed Simon Gaffney as chief operating officer (COO) of Willis Global and a member of the board.

In his new role, Gaffney will lead the operations function of Willis Global, which encompasses Willis’s reinsurance, specialty insurance and risk consulting businesses.

Gaffney will report to Steve Hearn, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Willis Global and deputy CEO of the Willis Group.

He also joins the board of Willis, the Willis Group’s principal UK regulated entity, as COO and as a director.

Gaffney joined Willis in 2000, when Willis acquired the risk information research and technology firm WIRE.

Anne Pullum will succeed him as director of corporate development. Pullum will play a key role in determining the group’s strategy, working across a number of key functions.

She will report to group CEO Dominic Casserley.

She joins Willis from McKinsey & Company, where she was an engagement manager serving financial services and natural resources clients.

Casserley said: “Investment in business development and operations is an integral part of our strategy to improve our operational efficiency and to connect our business globally, providing our clients with the best of Willis’s risk management, analytics and broking expertise. Both Anne and Simon will be working alongside leaders across our company to implement our plans for growth, helping to connect our innovation and on-the-ground relationships to drive solutions for clients right across the risk set they face.”

Gaffney said: “The business units that form the global segment of Willis cover a very broad spectrum of insurance, reinsurance broking and risk consulting activities. We work with clients to address their challenges right across the globe in a diverse range of geographies and sectors. Key to our ongoing success is our ability to connect Willis’s deep industry specific knowledge with our global broking capabilities and international network, as we continue to deliver world-class risk management solutions for our clients.”

Pullum said: “Willis has a huge opportunity to grow its business across industries and geographies worldwide, building on its existing capabilities and creating new products and risk management strategies in all global markets. I look forward to building on the work Simon has done, working with teams throughout the business to develop our offering and help drive our performance for the benefit of our clients, our Associates and our shareholders.”