Willis HRH, the North American arm of Willis Group Holdings, came into being in October 2008 after a transformational $2.1 billion combination between Willis and Hilb Rogal & Hobbs (HRH). The deal doubled Willis’s North America revenues and strengthened its leadership in attractive growth markets. It more than doubled Willis’s high-growth employee benefits business in North America while strengthening the global broker’s middle-market leadership. Willis HRH is now among the top three brokers in 15 of the 20 largest U.S. markets – including holding number one positions in Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and seven other major U.S. markets. All told, the combined company is in 210 locations in North America, up from Willis’ 70 locations previously. The North American operation is managed by an Office of the Chairman, which includes Don Bailey, Chairman and CEO of Willis HRH; Mike Crowley, former President and COO of HRH, as President of Willis HRH, and Mell Vaughan, previously Chairman and CEO of HRH, as Vice Chairman of Willis Group Holdings. In addition, Vic Krauze serves as Chief Operating Officer of Willis HRH, Derek Smyth is Chief Financial Officer, and Joe Gunn is Chief Growth Officer of the combined company.
Did you know Willis was the construction broker for the Hong Kong Airport at Chek Lap Kok, one of the world's largest reclamation operations of its time where the surrounding waters were filled in to form a new man-made island?