Willis Towers Watson, a global re/insurance advisory, broking and solutions company, has appointed Jim O’Connor as head of Specialties Broking, Jon Drummond as head of Casualty Broking, and Amelia Valz as head of Construction Professional Liability Broking, all for North America.
These appointments are part of Willis Towers Watson’s ongoing investment in its dedicated broking centers, which feature specialised teams using proprietary analytics to design structured re/insurance programs.
In addition to taking up his newly created role as head of Specialties Broking, O’Connor will retain his current position as head of Middle Market Broking, which he has held since 2017.
He will now be responsible for the business’ specialty insurance coverage placements, including environmental, life sciences and health care, across all segments, and will report to Joe Peiser, head of Broking, North America at Willis.
O’Connor has been in the re/insurance industry for 30 years, and joined Willis Towers Watson in 2006.
As head of Casualty Broking, North America, Drummond will oversee the delivery of the business’ offerings to global clients and organisations, and the management of Willis’ casualty broking centers, which negotiate and implement complex casualty re/insurance programs.
Drummond has 14 years’ industry experience and joined Willis Towers Watson in 2014, having previously served as a national casualty broker. He will also report to Peiser.
Finally, Valz will oversee Willis’s dedicated North American Construction Professional Liability Broking team, which specialises in the placement of professional liability risk for construction clients like project owners, contractors, architects, and engineers.
Valz has 15 years’ construction re/insurance experience and joins Willis Towers Watson from XL Catlin, where she was an Underwriting Director for construction performance risk. She will report to Kelly Kinzer, North American Construction Specialities Broking leader.
Peiser, commented on the appointments: “Now more than ever, organizations need highly specialized broking expertise to navigate the global insurance marketplace on their behalf.
“Willis Towers Watson, with our unparalleled market knowledge, stands ready to deliver optimal risk transfer solutions, underpinned by data and analytics.”
