Willis’s UK boss quits for RSA

RSA has appointed Willis UK retail boss Dan Wilkinson (pictured) as its new mid-market regions director. Wilkinson has worked at Willis for nearly 18 years and the move will be a blow to the company.

In the interim, Wilkinson’s role will be filled by Willis International chief executive Tim Wright.

Wilkinson is the second high profile departure from Willis UK in recent months; Willis Limited chief executive Brendan McManus left at the end of October 2011 to run rival broker Giles.

Wilkinson will start his new role at RSA on 31 January 2013. He will be responsible for leading RSA’s UK mid-market business and has spent 23 years in insurance broking,

Commenting on his new role, Wilkinson said: “After almost 18 years at Willis, the opportunity to take on a new challenge with a firm that is equally rich in UK insurance history and values is incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with what is an outstanding leadership team, and to realising our ambition to be the best commercial insurer in the UK.”

Commenting on the appointment, RSA UK commercial managing director Jon Hancock said: “Dan is a significant and extremely exciting hire for RSA. His considerable experience of working within the UK regions and natural focus on the end customer make him the ideal candidate for the role.  He will be a real asset to the UK commercial team, and I look forward to working with him as we look to get closer to our customers in 2013 and beyond.”