Willis, the principal UK broking company of Willis Group, has appointed Rodney Baker-Bates as new independent non-executive chairman.
Similarly, Brendan McManus has been appointed as CEO of Willis in addition to his current role as CEO, Willis UK & Ireland.
Baker-Bates and McManus will succeed the previous chairman and CEO of Willis, David Margrett, who was recently named CEO, Willis International.
With specific expertise in finance, pensions and risk management, Baker-Bates has had a long career in the financial services industry starting out in 1966 at Glyn Mills & Co and then working for Arthur Andersen, Chase Manhattan Bank, Midland Bank, the BBC and Prudential in the 36 years that followed.
Baker-Bates also served as a non-executive director of C Hoare & Co from 2000-2010. He currently holds a number of other chairman and non-executive directorships in both publicly quoted and private companies.
McManus has been CEO of Willis UK & Ireland since 2007 when he joined the Willis Group following a 20-year career at Royal & SunAlliance (RSA).
McManus was appointed as a director of Willis in 2008 and is also currently a board member of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA).
The appointment of Baker-Bates is subject to the regulatory approvals from the Financial Services Authority (FSA).