Aon and Willis Towers Watson Announce Merger

Aon plc and Willis Towers Watson announced a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction.

The combined company, to be named Aon, will be a premier, technology-enabled global professional services firm focused on the areas of risk, retirement and health, the firms say.

Aon will maintain operating headquarters in London. John Haley will take on the role of executive chairman with a focus on growth and innovation strategy. The combined firm will be led by Greg Case and Aon Chief Financial Officer Christa Davies, along with a leadership team that reflects the complementary strengths and capabilities of both organizations. The Board of Directors will comprise proportional members from Aon and Willis Towers Watson’s current directors.

According to the firms, part of the rationale behind the move is that it combines two highly complementary businesses into a technology-enabled global platform that is more relevant and responsive to client needs, and it provides opportunity to expand and further accelerate execution against the existing Aon United and Willis Towers Watson growth strategies.

“The combination of Willis Towers Watson and Aon is a natural next step in our journey to better serve our clients in the areas of people, risk and capital,” Haley says. “This transaction accelerates that journey by providing our combined teams the opportunity to drive innovation more quickly and deliver more value.”

“This combination will create a more innovative platform capable of delivering better outcomes for all stakeholders, including clients, colleagues, partners and investors,” Case says. “Our world-class expertise across risk, retirement and health will accelerate the creation of new solutions that more efficiently match capital with unmet client needs in high-growth areas like cyber, delegated investments, intellectual property, climate risk and health solutions.”