Willis Appoints Weaver CEO Singapore, SE Asia; Hooker for Natural Resources

June 25, 2015

Willis Group Holdings plc has appointed Simon Weaver as CEO of its Singapore office, and to the newly-created role of regional CEO for south-east Asia. He will be is moving from Miller, where he has spent two years as Head of Asia, and is responsible for business development strategy and operational management. Subject to regulatory approval, he is due to start with Willis on September 1st.

Weaver started his career in the London market and has 27 years’ experience in the industry, having held leadership positions with JLT in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore.

He will lead the Singapore office, and Willis’s offices and operations in south-east Asia will also report to him. That includes businesses in Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand, but will also include any future geographical expansion in the region.

Weaver will report to Adam Garrard, Willis Asia CEO, who noted his “invaluable experience at running successful businesses across Asia; adding that he is a perfect fit to lead our Singapore office, which is a vital hub of expertise for Willis, and also to drive our growth strategy across south-east Asia. The regional role is a new position that reflects our commitment to these markets and to their high growth prospects.”

Weaver indicated that he is “excited to join Willis and work with our high caliber teams in Singapore and across south-east Asia, delivering market-leading broking and advocacy to our clients. The huge breadth and depth of expertise within Willis leaves us well placed to further grow in this dynamic region, providing specialist products and services aligned to specific industry segments.”

Willis also announced that Matthew Hooker will leave his role as CEO in Singapore on September 1st, “to focus solely on his new role as Asia Leader for Natural Resources.” He has over 25 years of experience in risk and insurance broking, having started his career with Willis in the UK in 1988. He has since worked in Australia and held leadership roles in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Alistair Rivers, Global Leader of Willis’s Natural Resources Industry Group, stressed the “strategic importance of our industry strategy to Willis and, in particular, the significance of Asia to our natural resources industry group.” He described Hooker as the “ideal candidate to lead our growth strategy;” adding that there is “huge potential in the power, utilities, energy and mining sectors.”

Garrard indicated that Hooker would “focus on expanding our presence through targeted investments and proposition development. His vast experience in these sectors and his experience as CEO of Singapore provide him with the perfect credentials to develop this area working across all the Asian geographies.”

Hooker said: “There is a compelling case for us to sharpen our focus on natural resources. We see opportunities right across Asia, whether in global powerhouse economies like Japan, China and India, or emerging markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar.”

Source: Willis Group Holdings

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