NEW YORK, May 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE:WSH), the global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker, announced today the appointment of Brian Murphy and Hiromoto Ushiki as North American Practice Co-Leaders of the Japan Global Practice Group. Mr. Murphy and Mr. Ushiki assume the position previously held by Junji Hamada who retired in April 2013.
Willis North America's Japan Global Practice Group serves Japanese-headquartered companies' North American operations. Willis is an industry leader in this space providing best in class professional risk management and employee benefit solutions to a variety of industries as supported by a team of dedicated professionals across North America.
Mr. Murphy and Mr. Ushiki will be responsible for business development and aligning resources from across Willis' global platform to develop integrated and seamless solutions for clients. They will report to Eric Joost, Chief Executive, Willis North American Specialties.
Mr. Murphy and Mr. Ushiki each joined Willis in 2004 and previously served as Co-National Sales Leaders for the Japan Global Practice Group. Each brings over 23 years of industry experience to the role. Mr. Ushiki will be based in New York and Mr. Murphy will be based in Nashville, TN.
Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Joost said, "The Japan Group represents a very important component of our business here in North America and globally. We are thrilled to have Brian and Hiro's leadership in this space as they have each played a critical role in helping to drive strong growth in this business. We are excited to build on our success and deliver high levels of client satisfaction and business results."
About Willis
Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker. With roots dating to 1828, Willis operates today on every continent with more than 17,000 employees in over 400 offices. Willis offers its clients superior expertise, teamwork, innovation and market-leading products and professional services in risk management and transfer. Our experts rank among the world's leading authorities on analytics, modelling and mitigation strategies at the intersection of global commerce and extreme events. Find more information at our website, www.willis.com, our leadership journal, Resilience, or our up-to-the-minute blog on breaking news, WillisWire. Across geographies, industries and specialisms, Willis provides its local and multinational clients with resilience for a risky world.