OREANDA-NEWS. Willis Group Holdings plc (NYSE:WSH), the global risk advisory, re/insurance broking, and human capital and benefits firm, today announced the appointment of Brian Shea as Head of Europe for Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (WCMA), the firm’s insurance investment banking division. Reporting to WCMA Co-CEOs, Rafal Walkiewicz and Michael Guo, Shea will join WCMA on August 24, 2015 and will be based in London.

Shea brings over twenty years’ experience working with insurance companies within a capital markets context. He joins WCMA from global reinsurer, SCOR, where he was Chief Corporate Strategy Officer reporting to the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to SCOR, Shea was Managing Director and Head of the European Insurance Equity Research team for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. During this time he consistently led his team to a number one ranking in the annual Institutional Investor survey. He holds an MBA from London Business School and a BA in Economics and Mathematics from Bates College, Maine, USA.

WCMA advises clients in the insurance and reinsurance industry on merger and acquisitions, capital markets transactions and insurance-linked securities. WCMA Europe has recently advised on over €5 billion of transactions including the sale of Brit PLC to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited and the sale of Cathedral Capital Limited to Lancashire Holdings Limited.

Commenting on the appointment, Co-CEO of WCMA, Rafal Walkiewicz, said: “We are thrilled that Brian is joining WCMA to lead our European team. WCMA’s investment banking value proposition is based on our superior understanding of the insurance industry and our clients expect us to combine top quality execution with world-class strategic advice. As a recognised thought leader in the European insurance industry and with a wealth of experience identifying shareholder value, Brian will be a significant and valuable asset for WCMA clients.”

Brian Shea said: “Willis’s positioning as the analytical broker is a strong attraction to me, as is WCMA’s deep expertise in both capital markets and insurance. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to provide value-added advice and solutions to Willis’s clients”.