Willis boosts cyber with Marsh & Wells Fargo

Willis North America has strengthened its financial and executive risk (Finex) cyber and errors and omissions (E&O) team with a number of senior hires.

Adeola Adele has been appointed executive vice president and cyber thought leader, based in New York. Adele joins from from Marsh US. Prior to that, she worked in private practice as an employment and insurance coverage lawyer.

In addition, Jim Devoe has been appointed senior vice president (SVP) and cyber product leader, based in Connecticut. In this role, he will develop innovative coverage solutions to address the rapidly changing profile of cyber exposures.

Devoe joined Willis in 2013 as a cyber broker serving national accounts. Previously, he held a variety of roles at The Hartford, including managing the organisation’s cyber placements.

Gamelah Palagonia and Rebecca Pearson join Willis as SVP’s. Palagonia, who will also serve as cyber risk specialist, is a certified privacy professional and expert having founded Privacy Professionals, a cyber risk advisory firm.

Pearson has also been appointed as cyber team leader for Finex’s California Region. She joins from Wells Fargo Insurance Services.

Jason Warmbir has been appointed vice president and cyber team leader for Finex’s Midwest region, based in Chicago. Prior to joining Willis, he served as a cyber underwriting manager at ACE US.

Alexis Faber, executive vice president and Finex North America practice leader, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome these individuals to Willis and further elevate our position in the marketplace.

“These appointments demonstrate Willis’s continued commitment to strengthening our cyber platform. Moreover, the addition of Adeola and Jim to the team allows us to enhance our thought and product leadership value proposition to clients, while we continue to strengthen our service team.”

Geoffrey Allen, executive vice president and cyber/E&O practice leader, added: “In today’s networked world, cyber security and privacy liability have risen to the top of the risk agenda across all industries.

“Organisations require finely tuned risk analysis to assess their exposures and innovative risk management solutions to overcome these challenges. With our innovative analytical capabilities and global platform, Willis stands ready to help our clients protect their business and thrive in today’s environment.”