Broker makes changes to Continental Europe and Australasia operations
Willis has announced that Adam Garrard has been appointed chief executive of Willis Continental Europe and Bill Donovan has been named to succeed him as chief executive, Willis Australasia.
The appointments are effective January 1, 2009, and both executives will report to Sarah Turvill, chairman of Willis International.
Current Australasian CEO Garrard will assume responsibility for Willis’ Continental Europe operations, covering 25 offices in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The leaders of Willis’ Iberian and Italian operations will continue to report directly to Turvill.
Garrard has led Willis Australasia for the last three years, and before that, he was CEO of Asia, where he was instrumental in establishing the company’s retail operations in China and India. Garrard joined Willis in 1994, and before moving to Asia in 2002, worked in Europe assisting Turvill, who was then CEO of Europe. In his new role, he will be based in Germany.
Donovan joined Willis in 2005 as managing director for the New Zealand business. In 2007, Willis brought together the Australian and New Zealand operations under the Australasian banner and Donovan was made managing director, Retail, Australasia, covering Willis’ SME, Affinity and Managing Agency business. Prior to Willis, Donovan was at Marsh for five years and Aon for 18 years.
“Adam has made a significant contribution to the organic growth and profitability of Australasia, and we look forward to his future contributions to our business in Continental Europe, a region he knows very well from his previous experience there,” said Turvill. “Together Adam and Bill have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in transforming our operations in Australia and New Zealand over the last two years. We are confident that Bill will keep up this momentum.”
Garrard said, “Willis has established a great reputation and business in Continental Europe. I look forward to the challenge of building on this strong foundation and enhancing synergies and developing new growth opportunities across the region.”
