Marsh McLennan appoints two new c-suite executives

Marsh McLennan has made two new appointments to its c-suite with the aim of “supporting clients in the challenges and opportunities they face”.

Nick Harris has joined the broker as chief executive for UK retail, while Ailsa King has been appointed as the firm’s new chief commercial officer. 

Both of the new appointees will be based in London and report to Chris Lay, chief executive of Marsh McLennan UK and Marsh UK.

A statement, released this morning (6 September 2023), explained that Harris will be responsible for Marsh’s UK commercial, corporate and risk management client segments as well as advisory services.

Marsh added that he would hold the responsibility for “ensuring UK clients have access to the wide range of services and solutions from across Marsh McLennan to meet their risk and insurance needs”.

The firm said that King, on the other hand, would be responsible for leading a new commercial leadership structure to “drive the firm’s collaborative approach” and ”deliver enhanced innovations for clients”.

Bringing experience

Harris’ role will become effective on 1 January 2024 and will see him return to London from Australia, where he has been employed as chief executive of Marsh’s Pacific region – which includes its operations in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea – for the last four years.

He will bring over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry to his new role – having held senior roles in the UK and Australia.

Harris commented: ”“In a volatile and uncertain environment businesses are facing rapidly evolving and more complex risks and building resilience to new and emerging risks is a leadership priority for UK organisations.

I look forward to returning to the UK to work with our UK retail colleagues around the country and supporting our clients in the challenges and opportunities they face.”

King, whose appointment has been made effective immediately, will bring over 30 years of experience in senior broking and risk advisory roles to the position, having joined Marsh in 2017 as its UK chief client officer and chief executive officer of Marsh’s UK risk management client segment.

She said: ”As the issues and risks our clients face have changed and grown in complexity, so our approach to serving our clients has evolved. 

”I look forward to supporting clients as they navigate their way through a new world of increasingly interconnected risks.”

Commenting on the appointments, Lay said: “Ailsa and Nick are among the firm’s most experienced leaders and understand the importance of delivering services and solutions that help clients address risks at increasingly critical intersections in their organisations.

“Under their leadership, Marsh McLennan colleagues across the UK will be in an even stronger position to deliver greater client value.”