Willis in US broker push

Willis HRH, the broker’s North American unit has beefed up its retail brokerage business.

Tom Coughlin has been promoted to national partner and will run captives, enterprise & risk finance, claims & risk control, pooling, programs and the private client segment. Coughlin was formerly director of marketing for Willis North America

Tom Ealy has been named national partner in charge of the commercial segment, serving small and medium enterprises that represents more than 75% of the firm’s clients. Ealy was formerly executive vice president of Willis north america’s commercial and consumer segments and before that, chief operating officer of Willis North America

Leslie Nylund, who formerly led Willis’ New York Metro Region, has been appointed chief placement officer and national partner for Willis HRH, in charge of the company’s North America, London and Bermuda carrier relationships and placement strategy development. She was a managing director at Marsh, where her responsibilities over an 18-year career included overseeing several specialty practices.

Succeeding Nylund is Todd Jones, who also will oversee the company’s retail brokerage businesses in New Jersey, southern Connecticut, upstate New York (Buffalo), eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) and Delaware. Prior to becoming a national partner in 2006, Jones spent three years as the North American practice leader for Willis’ executive risks business. His earlier career included 10 years with Aon.

“Our ability to create new products, enhance the service experience we deliver to clients, win new business, retain clients and expand our relationships with them, and gain better terms from carriers are all instrumental to our continued success, particularly in today’s challenging rate environment,” said Don Bailey, chairman and CEO of Willis HRH. “The appointments we are announcing today will strengthen our organisation and enhance our ability to deliver on all these fronts – for the benefit of our clients and our company.”