Willis Towers Watson announces new President
Broker Willis Towers Watson has selected Carl Hess as the company’s new president and next CEO
Hess, who currently serves as Willis Towers Watson’s Head of Investment, Risk and Reinsurance business segment, will immediately assume the president role and succeed John Haley, upon his retirement, as CEO on 1 January 2022.
Victor Ganzi, Chairman at Willis Towers Watson, commented: “Carl is an exceptional leader with a strong track record of delivering results, depth of experience and understanding across Willis Towers Watson’s various businesses and a proven ability to bring together and motivate colleagues across the company to deliver value for clients and shareholders. We look forward to his continued contributions as president and future CEO. On behalf of the Board, I want to thank John for his years of thoughtful leadership and continued guidance during this transition.”
Hess has held several leadership positions
“I’m honoured by the opportunity to lead this exceptional company of talented, resilient and dedicated colleagues,” said Hess. “I am excited to fulfil our purpose for the benefit of our clients and all of our stakeholders: to create clarity and confidence today for a more sustainable tomorrow.”
Hess began his career at the company in 1989 and has held diverse leadership positions spanning business segment and geography roles. Prior to his current role, Hess served as Co-Leader of North America at Willis Towers Watson and before that as Managing Director, the Americas, of Towers Watson.
He served as the managing director of Towers Watson's Investment business since January 2010 and worked in a variety of roles for over 20 years at Watson Wyatt, lastly as Global Practice Director of Watson Wyatt's Investment business. Hess is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Conference of Consulting Actuaries, and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst.
In July, the company released its Quarterly InsurTech Briefing, showing that global investment in the InsurTech sector reached a new record during this year’s second quarter.