Fiona Kerr, David Watson and James Kelly join to drive growth and innovation in UK property, North America & Retro and casualty.
LONDON, November 10, 2025 — Willis, a WTW business (NASDAQ: WTW), today announced the appointment of three senior hires to its Direct and Facultative team in Great Britain. These strategic appointments underscore Willis’ commitment to enhancing its global facultative capabilities and delivering tailored solutions for clients.
Fiona Kerr joins Willis from Aon, as Facultative as Head of UK Property, bringing 20 years of industry experience and deep market expertise. Leading the UK property team, Kerr will drive growth and innovation across the portfolio, while strengthening relationships with cedants, reinsurers and retail broking colleagues. She will also spearhead new business development, while ensuring excellence in placement, client service and operational delivery.
David Watson has been appointed internally as head of North America and Retro, specialising in global property placements. Leading the team from his London base, Watson will oversee placement and retention, drive new business development and collaborate with regional offices and reinsurers to deliver tailored solutions globally.
James Kelly joins as Head of Casualty and Finex, GB Facultative, with 40 years of insurance industry experience. Having held senior positions at JLT, Lockton and Gallagher, Kelly will focus on growing Willis’ UK casualty facultative portfolio, mentoring talent and leading new business development across both direct and facultative channels, while ensuring excellence in placement and client service.
Tony Simm, Head of Facultative GB, said: “These appointments reflect our commitment to investing in exceptional talent and strengthening our facultative capabilities across key markets. Fiona, David, and James each bring expertise and leadership that will help us deliver best-in-class solutions and drive growth for our clients.”
Garret Gaughan, Global Head of Direct and Facultative, added: "These hires mark an exciting step forward in our global facultative strategy. Fiona, David, and James bring a wealth of experience and a proven track record of delivering results. Their leadership will be instrumental in driving innovation, expanding our reach and deepening our client relationships across key markets.
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At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.
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