Willis North America Appoints Peter Gruenberg Chief Placement Officer, Human Capital Practice

Responding to Health Care Reform, Willis is Redefining Employee Benefits Placement Strategy

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global insurance broker, today announced that Peter Gruenberg has been appointed Chief Placement Officer of its Human Capital Practice, effective immediately. Willis North America (WNA) recently rebranded its Employee Benefits Practice as the Human Capital Practice to reflect its broader approach in solving human capital issues for clients. Gruenberg will report to Don Bailey , Chairman and CEO, Willis North America.

In this new role, Gruenberg will direct the overall vision for WNA’s Human Capital Practice placement strategy, helping Willis to more effectively interface with the North American insurance carrier community. Gruenberg will lead the charge to optimize carrier pricing results and service levels, ensuring that Willis’ clients benefit from the best and most competitive insurance solutions available.

As health care reform legislation alters the landscape in this in this space, Willis is responding with a more coordinated approach to representing client’s interests in the annual placement of their employee benefits programs. Willis’ national placement strategy will focus on better coordinated marketing efforts across its 68 offices to leverage its size, and better serve the local and multi-state needs of clients. This approach will support and further strengthen the capabilities of local Willis offices. The design and placement of benefit programs will continue to be a local event at Willis, controlled and managed by the human capital professionals in its local offices.

Gruenberg has been at Willis since its merger with Hilb Rogal and Hobbs in October 2008, most recently serving as Co-national Director of Willis’ Human Capital Practice. Gruenberg has over 25 years experience in the Employee Benefits brokerage business. He is based in Cranford, New Jersey.

Commenting on Gruenberg’s appointment, Bailey said “As an expert on health care reform and with a respected reputation among the carrier community, Peter is uniquely qualified to lead this important initiative for Willis, and help drive the evolution of our North American Human Capital Practice. The backbone of our business is helping clients place their insurance coverage needs and getting claims paid promptly. Peter’s role will build on our success and enable Willis to deliver the best solutions available.”

The Willis Human Capital Practice provides unique and tested solutions to help organizations manage their human capital investment. The industry leading practice offers multi-disciplinary teams of experts specializing in customized employer solutions including best in market insurance programs, Total Reward consulting, turnkey wellness programs, reward tracking and delivery, and consultation on legislative and compliance issues.

About Willis

Willis Group Holdings is a leading global insurance broker. Through its subsidiaries, Willis develops and delivers 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 400 offices in nearly 120 countries, with a global team of approximately 17,000 employees serving clients in virtually every part of the world. Additional information on Willis may be found at www.willis.com.

Willis North America
Media: Colleen McCarthy , +1-212-850-7615
Colleen.mccarthy@willis.com
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Source: Willis North America