Willis Towers Watson hires new leader for CEEMEA region

Broker Willis Towers Watson has appointed Neil Irwin as the new leader of the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA) region.

Based in Dubai, Irwin will lead a diverse and high-growth region in more than 40 countries, and will also act as the head of corporate risk and broking for CEEMEA.

Irwin has been working within the CEEMEA region since 2009, where he led business development for EMEA and India at Marsh for four years, and was managing director for Marsh’s operations in the Middle East and Africa from 2013 to 2016.

Most recently, he led global distribution at Cigna Global Health Benefits, working between Dubai and the US. Prior to that, he held a number of senior positions in Europe, including regional managing director for Marsh in the UK and Europe development director at Sedgwick.

Adam Garrard, head of international, Willis Towers Watson, said: "This is an important, high-potential region for us. Neil has invaluable experience of managing complex businesses across different cultures and commercial environments, so he is a great fit for this role. His strong background in insurance will be key to driving our growth strategy around risk and broking, while his management vision and leadership will help set out our combined, wider offer in multiple markets."

Irwin commented: "I am excited to be leading this diverse, engaging, and high-growth region, and I am delighted to be working with such a talented team to ensure that, right across CEEMEA, we become the advisory, broking and solutions company of choice.

"Impeccable client service, local relationships, and global specialist expertise are all going to be fundamental to our success. I am also a big believer in the role that future technology will play in transforming the customer experience, so I look forward to driving innovation."

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