WTW Jobs

WTW is recruiting for an exciting leadership role, that will allow the successful candidate to operate at the cutting edge of insurance and professional risks and to drive a diverse practice working over Australia and New Zealand. The successful candidate will be supported in a collaborative environment and be provided with a unique platform to grow their profile, participate in opportunities across the region, establish their strategy, and be responsible for driving the success of one of WTW’s major industry initiatives.

WTW is after a candidate who demonstrates the right attitude, is a good collaborator, and will be a long-term contributor and leader within its FINEX practice. For these reasons, WTW will explore candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise, including those with broking, claims, advisory and legal backgrounds.

WTW’s Financial Lines and Executive Risk (FINEX) practice is made up of dedicated experts focusing on the financial insurance and risk needs of professional industries and complex organisations across Australasia. To support WTW’s commitment to innovation and to meet the needs of our clients, the FINEX practice has established specialist teams who drive WTW’s engagement with key industry verticals and the unique risk and insurance challenges that organisations operating in these verticals face.

The FINEX specialist teams are led by a senior expert who designs WTW’s key initiatives, coordinates WTW's overall strategy and supervises regional team members across new business, placement and client servicing.

This role is to hire a new senior expert who will head up WTW’s FINEX “Professions” team. The Professions team is responsible for growing and servicing WTW’s Professional Services client base and works with a broad range of organisations spanning consultants, engineers, medical firms, law firms, design organisations and service providers. The team is immersed in the professions' eco-systems as well as the needs and concerns of clients.

This role is unique and has been crafted for an ambitious candidate with vision, creativity, leadership, technical capabilities, entrepreneurial skills and a desire to head up a market-leading practice with unrivalled capabilities. The successful candidate will be empowered by a supportive FINEX team and have the freedom and responsibility of crafting, driving and delivering WTW’s strategy for the Professions team.

In addition to leading the Professions team, the candidate with also have responsibility for growing our portfolio of Professional Services clients. The successful candidate will:

• Formulate the strategy, key initiatives and deliverables for the Professions team

• Identify how WTW can effectively navigate industries to find new client opportunities and support the needs of existing clients

• Build out and own the WTW value proposition, leveraging WTW’s full breadth of capability, to support clients in managing their risks and positioning WTW to become a strategic partner for clients

• Oversee all financial lines placements for clients in the Professions portfolio

• Coordinating collaboration with other WTW teams in the course of supporting and delivering on the needs of clients in the Professions portfolio

• Connect with and provide advice, resources and guidance to colleagues engaged in FINEX Professions business across the region

• Develop creative risk solutions and advice for Professions clients across the suite of WTW FINEX product lines and risk services

• Provide input into State of Market Updates and lead thought leadership for Professions in the region

• Manage the annual budget for Professions.

This role reports directly to the head of FINEX Australasia.

The Role

Specialism has driven FINEX’s success to date. This role aligns with our other specialist team which includes Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Due Diligence (DD), Financial Institutions (FI), Cyber & Tech and Executive Risk. Our most established specialist teams i.e. M&A and Cyber & Tech are leaders in their space with a clear value proposition and go-to-market strategy.

The successful candidate will be provided with the opportunity to become an industry leader and establish the value proposition and strategy for the Professions team. The successful candidate will have ownership for:

• Building out our value proposition

• Growing the book: setting the growth strategy and spearheading new business opportunities

• Creating and maintaining updated marketing material

• Driving thought leadership to support business development

• Creating new products to meet clients’ existing & evolving risks

• Leveraging best practice & collaborating with counterparts globally

• Manage the virtual P&L for the sector across the region

Other elements of the role include:

• Directly handle a small and strategic number of key large/complex accounts

• Function as a senior resource on all other FINEX Professions accounts; participate in client communications/conference calls/meetings where high-level, technical expertise is needed

• Contribute to the resolution of complex claims matters

• Maintain meaningful, senior-level market relationships

• Set growth strategy; spearhead new business opportunities

• Oversee the analysis of new forms and products in the marketplace

• Oversee the creation of marketing materials, quarterly market updates

• Oversee the creation of new products designed to meet the existing needs of clients/evolving exposures

• Represent FINEX Professions/WTW on industry panels, webinars, social media, etc.

• Be a member of FINEX Australasia leadership team

• Set the goals and objectives of the Professions portfolio

• Support the overall operational governance and decision-making process

• Support management and WTW in the management of risks

• Develop relationships with other FINEX divisional leads

• Ensure adherence to Willis Towers Watson policies, procedures and all regulatory requirements

• Serve as a primary senior point of contact for clients within FINEX Professions

The Requirements

• 15+ business cycles of insurance experience in the financial lines market and related market

• Extensive knowledge of financial lines insurance products

• Proven track record of delivering high levels of client service and new business development

• Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills

• Ability to analyse and provide concise conclusions

• Experienced knowledge of insurance markets globally to deal effectively with client and WTW needs

• Knowledge of product development, broking and claims processes and procedures

• Understanding of and ability to execute complex placements

• Time management and organizational skills

• Proficient computer skills relevant to Microsoft Office, Outlook, and web-based applications

• Solution-focused with a personal drive to achieve significant change in relatively short periods, and able to motivate teams to focus and deliver on priorities

• Stakeholder management skills

• Clear and compelling communication and presentation skills, written and verbal

• Business and political awareness

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective relationships, at all levels, with clients, prospects, associates, insurers and external specialists

• Holds all regulatory licences, permissions and technical or other requirements applicable

• Experience managing teams, both direct and matrix management

Note: Employment-based visa sponsorship and/or assistance is not offered for this specific job opportunity.

Why Join WTW

WTW provides a competitive benefits package which includes the following (eligibility requirements apply):

• Annual bonus

• Company paid salary continuance insurance

• Life and TPD insurance (Australia only)

• Hybrid working

• Networks (Gender, Wellbeing, Pride)

• Career Growth – internal opportunities and development programs

At WTW, we trust you to know your work and the people, tools and environment you need to be successful. The majority of our colleagues work in a ”hybrid” style, with a mix of in-person and in-office interactions dependent on the needs of the team, role and clients. Our flexibility is rooted in trust and “hybrid” is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

We understand flexibility is key to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and so we encourage requests for all types of flexible working. Please speak to your recruiter to discuss more.

At WTW, we believe that a culture of inclusion and diversity is critical to our business. It's not a separate initiative – rather it’s fundamental to everything we do. We are an equal-opportunity employer who is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and embrace diversity including gender, nationality, disability, age, marital/parental status, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds.

In the spirit of reconciliation, WTW acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

We are a 2024 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant.