NEW YORK, United States
Building on a solid 100-year relationship with the Japanese insurance industry, Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global insurance broker, today reinforced its commitment to local and international Japanese business with the announcement of a new Chairman and CEO for its Japan operations. Shoji Ohashi has joined as the new Representative Director & Chairman of Willis Japan Holdings KK and Yoshiki Yamamoto is the new Director and CEO of Willis Japan Holdings KK. Mr. Ohashi will report to John McDonnell the Chairman of the Japan Global Practice Group.
Joe Plumeri, Chairman and CEO of Willis, welcomed Mr. Ohashi and Mr. Yamamoto to the Group saying, "We are very proud that two of the biggest names in the Japanese insurance industry have seen the potential of Willis and have chosen to join us, and we are honored to welcome Shoji and Yoshiki. Listening to our clients, we realized that there is a major need for Willis' global resources to be delivered locally to enterprises in the domestic Japanese market. In light of this, we are committed to continued investment in the country and supporting Japanese corporations with solutions to their diversified local business risks."
After a three-year secondment in Tokyo, Michael Abbott, the outgoing Chairman and Managing Director of Willis Japan Holdings KK is returning to London to take up a new role within Willis International. During these past three years Mr Abbott has contributed to the significant growth in the Japanese business, overseen the formation of the Japan Global Practice Group and built a solid structure and foundation in Japan for the future.
Mr. Ohashi joins Willis after retiring from his position as Chairman of Marsh Japan at the end of 2004 where he was responsible for the development of indigenous business, including overseas investment by Japanese corporations and incoming business from American and European multinationals. Mr. Ohashi brings great experience from the brokerage side of the industry but also from the carrier side due to his time spent as a Chief Representative of the Nashville office of Nissan Fire & Marine Insurance Company (U.S.A), now Sompo Japan after the merger with Yasuda Fire and Marine.
Mr. Yamamoto also began his career at Nissan Fire & Marine both in Japan and the US. He went on to become Senior Vice President in the Global Risk Management Department of Marsh Japan where he was charged primarily with business development in the automotive industry.
The move to strengthen Willis' retail operations in Japan follows a recent office relocation in Tokyo which saw the centralization of four of the Group's Japanese entities into one office in the Toranomon Kotohira Tower in the Toranomon business district.
Willis Group Holdings Limited is a leading global insurance broker, developing and delivering professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions around the world. Willis has more than 300 offices in some 100 countries, with a global team of approximately 16,000 employees serving clients in some 190 countries. Additional information on Willis may be found at www.willis.com.
Source: Business Wire (Business Wire India)