Willis Appoints New Leader for Global Service Centres
in Ipswich and Mumbai
London, UK, February 01, 2011 – Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global
insurance broker, today announced the appointment of Mark Parker as leader of the
Group’s Global Service Centres in Ipswich and Mumbai, effective April 1, 2011.
Parker will replace Ian Gale who is leaving Willis after 35 years of service. Based in
Ipswich, Parker will report to Tim Wright, Willis Group Chief Operating Officer (COO).
As the former Chief Executive Officer of Willis Processing Services (India) Private
Limited, Parker led Willis’ Mumbai service centre for four years during which time he
oversaw the significant growth of the operation, almost doubling its size from 700 to
1,300 Associates. Prior to his tenure in Mumbai, Parker held a variety of senior
operational roles having originally joined Willis from university in 1984. Olivia Cooper,
former HR Director for Willis Global Businesses, has taken over Parker’s role in
India.
Ipswich has been one of Willis’ core business centres for more than 35 years, and
currently employs over 1,000 Associates, making it one of the largest employers in
the town. For the past three and a half years, Ian Gale has been responsible for the
Ipswich office together with executive responsibility for the Mumbai operation.
During his time in Ipswich, Gale has been an active advocate of connecting Willis
with the local community through various charitable fundraising initiatives and
engagement with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. He is also responsible for
implementing a new Education Liaison strategy within the Suffolk community in which
Willis leads an outreach to local schools, colleges and universities to highlight the
career opportunities available within the insurance industry and provide work
experience placements.
Gale joined Willis in London in 1975, and spent nearly 20 years on the production
and marketing of business for the North American department of the then Willis
Faber and Dumas. In 1995, he made the successful transition from business
production to operations, eventually becoming COO for Willis Re in the UK.
Thanking Ian and welcoming Mark to his new role, Tim Wright said, “Ian’s reputation
in the Ipswich community and throughout Willis is a testament to the tremendous job
he’s done and the commitment he’s shown in both Willis Re and as a leader of our
Global Service Centres. We are fortunate to have another great leader in Mark who has done an outstanding job in growing our Mumbai operation and will spearhead the development of this site and our Ipswich office as global centres of excellence.”
Commenting on his time at Willis, Gale said, “I have enjoyed an incredible career at
Willis, meeting and working with so many remarkable people, both internally and
externally, from all over the world. As leader of the Ipswich office, I have been
astounded by the dedication and enthusiasm of our people and the community spirit
of the town, and I am very proud of Willis’ position there. I’ve worked with Mark for
many years and I know he will continue to build on the success of our global service
centres. ”
Willis Group Holdings plc 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.
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