LONDON, July 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis Group Holdings plc (NYSE:WSH), the global risk advisory, re/insurance broking, and human capital and benefits firm, today announced the appointment of Brian Shea as Head of Europe for Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (WCMA), the firm’s insurance investment banking division. Reporting to WCMA Co-CEOs, Rafal Walkiewicz and Michael Guo, Shea will join WCMA on August 24, 2015 and will be based in London.
Shea brings over twenty years’ experience working with insurance companies within a capital markets context. He joins WCMA from global reinsurer, SCOR, where he was Chief Corporate Strategy Officer reporting to the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.
Prior to SCOR, Shea was Managing Director and Head of the European Insurance Equity Research team for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. During this time he consistently led his team to a number one ranking in the annual Institutional Investor survey. He holds an MBA from London Business School and a BA in Economics and Mathematics from Bates College, Maine, USA.
WCMA advises clients in the insurance and reinsurance industry on merger and acquisitions, capital markets transactions and insurance-linked securities. WCMA Europe has recently advised on over €5 billion of transactions including the sale of Brit PLC to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited and the sale of Cathedral Capital Limited to Lancashire Holdings Limited.
Commenting on the appointment, Co-CEO of WCMA, Rafal Walkiewicz, said: “We are thrilled that Brian is joining WCMA to lead our European team. WCMA’s investment banking value proposition is based on our superior understanding of the insurance industry and our clients expect us to combine top quality execution with world-class strategic advice. As a recognised thought leader in the European insurance industry and with a wealth of experience identifying shareholder value, Brian will be a significant and valuable asset for WCMA clients.”
Brian Shea said: “Willis’s positioning as the analytical broker is a strong attraction to me, as is WCMA’s deep expertise in both capital markets and insurance. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to provide value-added advice and solutions to Willis’s clients”.
About Willis Capital Markets & Advisory
Willis Capital Markets & Advisory, with offices in New York, London and Hong Kong, provides advice to companies involved in the insurance and reinsurance industry on a broad array of mergers and acquisition transactions as well as capital markets products, including acting as underwriter or agent for primary issuances, operating a secondary insurance-linked securities trading desk and engaging in general capital markets and strategic advisory work. Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (“WCMA”) is a trade name used by Willis Securities, Inc., a licensed broker dealer authorized and regulated by FINRA and a member of SIPC (“WSI”), Willis Capital Markets & Advisory Limited (Registered number 2908053 and ARBN number 604 264 557), an investment business authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“WCMAL”) and Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (Hong Kong) Limited, a corporation licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (“WCMAL (HK)”).
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 18,000 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.
This communication should not be regarded as an offer to sell or as a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security. The information contained herein is as of this date only, is subject to change and does not contain all information necessary to adequately evaluate an investment in any financial instrument. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied upon as, a representation, whether as to the past, the present or the future. Information contained in this communication may not reflect information known to other employees in any other business areas of Willis Group and its affiliates.