Willis Towers Watson Announces Ganzi Will Succeed McCann as Board Chairman

Willis Towers Watson announced that James McCann will be succeeded as chairman of the board by Victor Ganzi, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

McCann will step down as chairman three years after the merger of Willis and Towers Watson. He will continue to serve as a director and as chairman of the nominating and governance committee.

In addition, Brendan O’Neill will become chairman of the audit committee, replacing Ganzi in that role. O’Neill has served as a director since January 2010.

Ganzi has served as a director of Willis Towers Watson since Jan. 4, 2016. Previously, he was a director of Towers Watson (beginning on Jan. 1, 2010). He also was chairman of Towers Watson’s audit committee and was a member of its nominating and governance committee.

Ganzi is currently a consultant and corporate director, serving on the boards of numerous private and not-for-profit organizations, including PGA Tour, Inc., the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club. Ganzi was the president and chief executive officer of The Hearst Corp., a private diversified communications company, from 2002 to 2008. He served as Hearst’s executive vice president from 1997 to 2002 and as its chief operating officer from 1998 to 2002.

Prior to joining Hearst in 1990, Ganzi was the managing partner at the international law firm of Rogers & Wells (now part of Clifford Chance). He previously served as a director of Gentiva Health Services, Inc., Wyeth and Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc.

Ganzi graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and holds an L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University.

Commenting on McCann’s tenure, CEO John Haley noted that he was chairman of the board during the three-year period when Willis Towers Watson “built a successful, integrated and leading advisory, broking and solutions company.”

“Both I and the board would like to take this opportunity to thank Jim for his efforts in support of our company since 2004 and to wish him every future success,” he added.

“Three years after the merger, Willis Towers Watson has made excellent progress in delivering on its integration goals and driving sustainable, profitable revenue growth across the business,” said Ganzi, commenting about his appointment.

“Our ability to deliver on the merger’s strategic rationale, namely our integrated approach to people and risk and a uniquely holistic perspective on client needs, is central to our continued success. I am very much looking forward to building on the foundation created over the past three years and taking our company to the next level,” he added.

Source: Willis Towers Watson

Topics Willis Towers Watson