ASIA, 3 August 2020 – Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, today announces the appointment of Wise Xu as Country Leader of China. Wise also retains his current position as Head of Corporate Risk and Broking (CRB) in China. The new appointment will take effect 1 September 2020. Wise takes over from Smilla Yuan who is leaving Willis Towers Watson (WTW) to take on a new challenge outside the company. She will be leaving WTW towards the end of August.
In his new role, Wise will be working with various business leaders across the company in China to continue the strong growth and development of WTW across its people and risk businesses. Based in Beijing, Wise will also become a member of WTW’s Asia Leadership Team.
Commenting on the appointment, Scott Burnett, Head of Asia and Head of CRB Asia, said: “Over the last few years, we continue to see double-digit growth of our business in China. It is also the largest market for WTW in Asia and we see ample opportunities especially in the post-Covid-19 recovery, supporting companies as they stabilise their businesses and adjust their supply chain strategies in the new normal. Under Wise’s leadership, I am confident that he will be able to further this growth and strengthen the extensive relationships we have with our clients and partners in China.
I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to Smilla for her significant contributions to WTW over the past 20 years and across various key roles. With her strong leadership, we have achieved the integration of our solutions across people, risk and capital which has strengthened our brand in the market today. I wish Smilla all the best for her future.”
Wise has spent nearly 24 years with WTW and has been leading the company’s CRB business in China since 2016. Under his efforts, WTW was the first international broker granted permission by the Chinese regulator in 2018 to fully transact all lines of insurance business in China as a fully licensed foreign broker. Wise brings with him extensive experience and is highly recognised by the China insurance industry as a thought-leader and respected risk advisor among some of the largest and fastest growing companies in China.
Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees serving more than 140 countries and markets. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas – the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential.
