Willis Towers Watson will have a new chairman of the board come 2019.
James McCann, who is completing his current term as chair three years after the merger of Willis and Towers Watson, will be succeeded by Victor Ganzi on January 01. Meanwhile the predecessor will continue to serve as a director and as chair of the nominating and governance committee.
“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved at Willis Towers Watson in recent years, and glad to have played a leading role in delivering on the 2016 merger and its subsequent progress,” said McCann. “It’s been a pleasure to lead the board through this transformational time in the company’s development, and I know that Victor and the rest of the leadership team will continue to lead the company to even greater future success.”
Brendan O’Neill, who has served as a director since January 2010, will replace Ganzi as chair of the audit committee.
Commenting on the succession, chief executive John Haley noted: “Victor has been a director of Willis Towers Watson since the January 2016 merger, although his service with the company dates back to 2010 when he served as chairman of Towers Watson’s audit committee and as a member of its nominating and governance committee.
“As we look to the next phase of our company’s evolution, Victor brings considerable experience and insight to the company, and we are delighted to announce his appointment as chairman of the board, effective January 01, 2019.”
Haley also has nothing but nice words for McCann, who served as chair “during the three-year period when Willis Towers Watson built a successful, integrated, and leading advisory, broking, and solutions company.”
The CEO stated: “Both I and the board would like to take this opportunity to thank Jim for his efforts in support of our company since 2004 and to wish him every future success.”
Ganzi, for his part, is “very much looking forward” to building on the foundation and taking the company to the next level.
“Three years after the merger, Willis Towers Watson has made excellent progress in delivering on its integration goals and driving sustainable, profitable revenue growth across the business,” he said. “Our ability to deliver on the merger’s strategic rationale, namely our integrated approach to people and risk and a uniquely holistic perspective on client needs, is central to our continued success.”
