Reinsurance News

Willis Re

Willis Re is a global reinsurance broker launched as a joint-venture between private equity firm Bain Capital (BCIS) and WTW. The company aims to serve its client-base with reinsurance risk transfer solutions backed by industry expertise, advanced analytics, and a global network.

Re/insurance industry execs support sale of Willis Towers Watson assets: KBW

20th May 2021

Florida and Bermuda insurance and reinsurance industry executives recently expressed "widespread support" for the sale of Willis Re and certain other Willis Towers Watson (WTW) assets to Arthur J. Gallagher (Gallagher), according to analysts at KBW. It was announced last week that Gallagher had agreed a $3.57 billion deal to ... Read the full article

Gallagher’s Willis Re acquisition will expand UK, US and international footprint

13th May 2021

Following Arthur J. Gallagher's agreement to acquire the majority of reinsurance brokerage Willis Re, a Gallagher spokesperson has confirmed that the deal will significantly expand the company's footprint in the UK and the US, and provide it with scale operations in certain key markets. It was announced yesterday that Aon ... Read the full article

Acquisition of WTW assets will ‘accelerate’ Gallagher’s long-term strategy, says CEO

12th May 2021

With global brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher set to acquire certain assets of Willis Towers Watson (WTW), including Willis Re, the company expects to significantly expand its global value proposition in reinsurance as well as its global footprint in other parts of the business. Aon and WTW announced today an agreement ... Read the full article

Aon & WTW agree $3.57bn sale of certain assets to Gallagher

12th May 2021

Global re/insurance brokers Aon and Willis Towers Watson (WTW) have signed a definitive agreement to sell Willis Re and a number of other WTW assets to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Gallagher), for a total consideration of $3.57 billion. The announcement comes as the pair look to satisfy the European Commission's ... Read the full article

AJ Gallagher in talks to acquire $3bn portfolio of Aon and WTW assets: Bloomberg

10th May 2021

Global insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher is in talks with Aon and Willis Towers Watson (WTW) over the potential acquisition of a portfolio of assets, which includes Willis Re, reports Bloomberg. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, has reported that an agreement could be reached in the coming weeks. According to ... Read the full article

Global insurtech investment hits record $2.55bn in Q1: WTW

28th April 2021

New data from re/insurance broker Willis Towers Watson (WTW) shows that global investment in the insurtech sector reached a new quarterly high of $2.55 billion during the first quarter of 2021. This included eight so-called ‘mega-rounds’, which was more than in any other three-month period, analysts found, and which accounted for ... Read the full article

“Happy tailwind” of rising premiums reducing expense ratios will tail-off: Vickers, Willis Re

23rd April 2021

Top-line growth has been helping global reinsurance firms to enhance their expense efficiency, but this "happy tailwind" won't last forever, warns James Vickers, Chairman, Willis Re International. Speaking with our sister publication Artemis in the latest of its Artemis Live series of video interviews, Read the full article

Reinsurer returns still well below cost of capital: Willis Re

19th April 2021

Reinsurance return on equity (ROE) continued to track down over 2020, with returns remaining “well below” the industry cost of capital, according to analysts at Willis Re. The broker found that both the reported and underlying ROE of the reinsurance industry declined significantly in 2020 as a lower contribution from investment ... Read the full article

Hard work, underwriting remedies coming through for reinsurers: Vickers, Willis Re

13th April 2021

Efforts undertaken by reinsurance carriers to improve performance are starting to come through on an underlying basis, but while momentum is positive, there’s more work to be done, according to James Vickers, Chair of Willis Re International. Reinsurance News spoke with Vickers around the launch of the reinsurance broker’s full-year 2020 ... Read the full article

Global reinsurance capital up 7% to $658bn in 2020: Willis Re

12th April 2021

Strong investment market appreciation helped global reinsurance industry capital grow 7% to $658 billion at year-end 2020, according a new report from Willis Re. While new capital raised by both incumbents and new entrants added to the final total, Willis Re says capital returns to shareholders exceeded those new investments. Willis Re's ... Read the full article

Willis Re views industry capital levels as resilient

9th April 2021

A new report from Willis Re has examined the capitalization of re/insurers in the US and European markets, concluding that both have proved resilient to the challenges of the pandemic. In the US, Willis Re found that P&C companies continued to show very strong risk-adjusted capitalization scores despite the increase in ... Read the full article

Good progress made at “disciplined” April renewals: Willis Re’s Vickers

7th April 2021

Willis Re’s James Vickers believes that reinsurers made “good progress” at an April renewal period that saw underwriting discipline and a continuation of the rate increases seen at 1/1. Vickers, who is Chair of Willis Re International, recently spoke to Reinsurance News alongside the release of Willis Re’s 1st View ... Read the full article

Market pricing remains firm at 4/1 despite ample capacity: Willis Re

1st April 2021

Broker Willis Re has reported that market pricing has remained firm in virtually all classes and territories at the April 1 reinsurance renewals, despite there being no shortage of capacity. According to Willis Re’s 1st View report on the April renewal period, conditions very much continued in line with what was ... Read the full article

Willis Re pegs 2020 insured loss from global nat cats at $78bn

30th March 2021

Overall insured loss estimates from global natural catastrophes in 2020 totalled $78 billion, significantly higher than the $53 billion in 2019, according to a Willis Re report. In the US, there were 22 events in 2020 that exceeded $1 billion, breaking the record of 16 in 2007, and the 2020 Atlantic ... Read the full article

Re/insurers achieve premium growth despite COVID challenges: Willis Re

25th March 2021

A new report from broker Willis Re shows that, globally, re/insurers achieved mild premium growth over 2020 due to rate increases for reinsurance and commercial lines of business. Most lines of business in the US market reversed Q2 declines in premiums and US premiums over the year actually outpaced GDP growth, ... Read the full article