Lockton expands UK commercial wholesale business with ex-Gallagher hire

Re/insurance broker  Lockton has expanded its UK commercial wholesale business by hiring a senior leader with a background at rivals including Gallagher and Towergate.

Ryan Willis (pictured) has been appointed as business team manager within its commercial wholesale team, based in Manchester. Willis takes up his new role with immediate effect, reporting to David Lee, senior vice president – head of UK commercial wholesale.

In his new role, Willis assumes responsibility for leading the wholesale existing business team. Willis will oversee the day-to-day operations and performance of the team, communicating the company’s goals and leading on long-term strategic planning as Lockton looks to grow the number of clients it serves in the UK.

Willis has 15 years of commercial broking experience, joining after seven years with Verlingue UK, where he was most recently Corporate North client service manager. Prior to that, he worked at Finch as a corporate account handler team leader. He has also held a range of other corporate account handler roles at insurance brokers including Gallagher, Towergate and Beaumonts.

Lockton said Willis’ arrival follows a strong year of growth for its commercial wholesale team, with year on year revenue growth over the last three years exceeding 35%.

Lee said: “I am pleased to welcome Ryan to our ambitious and growing UK Wholesale division based in Manchester. He has a solid track record of success, having led a number of teams to exceed both their immediate and long-term targets. His skills will be highly valuable and I look forward to working with him as our own growth accelerates, where we are committed to helping Agents manage ever-complex risk profiles and achieve their business objectives.”

Willis commented: “Lockton is a business I have always respected, and I am excited to be joining the team now. The business’ various accolades as a ‘Best Place to Work’ in insurance speaks volumes, but I was really attracted to how this plays out in reality and the team’s forward-thinking culture. Lockton’s independent nature means our team can be flexible and responsive to client needs, while taking advantage of significant opportunities for growth – both individually, as a team and at a corporate level.”

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