WTW has appointed James Baum, a seasoned industry veteran, as head of corporate risk and broking, as well as head of Australia and New Zealand.
Baum most recently worked for Aon for 18 years, holding various executive positions, such as CEO of Australia, chief broking officer for the Pacific, and global head of wholesale and speciality broking. Prior to Aon, James spent over 12 years at Marsh and Sedgwick.
Simon Weaver will continue to serve as WTW head of Asia Pacific and head of CRB for Asia Pacific.
Pamela Thomson-Hall, WTW head of international and head of risk and broking International said, “I am delighted to have someone of James’s calibre join WTW. This appointment speaks to the company’s ability to attract market-leading talent. James is a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience and has a proven track record of supporting growth and managing business operations. We've made tremendous progress and built great foundations for growth in Australasia in recent years, thanks to Simon Weaver, and now with James’s leadership, we are poised to take this to the next level.”
Baum added: “I am excited to be joining WTW at a time of significant growth and opportunity in Australasia. WTW is well positioned to compete in the market – the company is winning new business and bringing the best solutions and talent to serve the people, risk and capital needs of clients. With its strong global brand, client-first passion and ambition to grow, I am looking forward to being part of this next phase and seeing WTW in Australasia realise its full potential for our clients and colleagues alike.”
WTW appointed Steven Torresan as the new head of mergers and acquisitions for its financial, executive and professional risks division across Asia Pacific and Africa.
Sydney-based Torresan previously led WTW’s M&A practice for its Australasia business.
Prior to joining WTW, he co-founded Risk Capital Advisors (RCA), an M&A brokerage with operations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and worked as a lawyer at Norton Rose. WTW acquired RCA in 2019
