Risk Capital Advisors acquired by Willis Towers Watson
Sydney-based Risk Capital Advisors has been snapped by Willis Towers Watson, in a move that bolsters Willis Towers Watson’s insurance merger & acquisition (M&A) capabilities in the Australasia region.
Founded in 2011, Risk Capital Advisors is a specialist risk consultancy focused exclusively on structuring insurance capital to mitigate or eliminate risks associated with M&A transactions. The company specialises in warranty & indemnity insurance and other specialist M&A products, such as tax, litigation and environmental.
“Risk Capital Advisors is the foremost team in Australasia for warranty and indemnity insurance. This offering supports the growing client needs and market dynamics we are experiencing locally,” said Simon Weaver, head of Willis Towers Watson for Australia and New Zealand.
As part of the integration, a team of ten will join Willis Towers Watson in Sydney and Melbourne (including leaders Diane Connor, Steven Torresan, Guy Miller and Andrew Stubbings), with a small number of colleagues also joining in South Africa and the US. Risk Capital Advisors will be integrated into Willis Towers Watson’s Finex practice, which supports clients with specialist financial, executive and professional risks. Offerings include helping clients with indemnity liability, pension trustee liability, fidelity insurance, cyber insurance, financial risk intelligence, and also mergers and acquisitions.
“We see a great opportunity to provide additional benefits to companies in M&A transactions. The combination of our teams will strengthen our value proposition for all our clients, by providing a wider and deeper range of expertise and service,” said Weaver.
The deal comes at a time when the outlook for mergers & acquisitions in Australia is rosy. According to a recent report by Deloitte, nearly half of Australian executives expect an increase in domestic deal activity in the coming twelve months. Meanwhile, 70% of executives are preparing parts of their businesses for divestiture.
Speaking of the joining of forces, Jeremy Wall, global head of Willis Towers Watson’s Finex practice said, “The team is an exciting addition to Finex’s M&A and insurance capabilities. It further enhances our client offering both locally and globally.”
Jill Stewart, who leads the Finex arm in Australia, believes that the bolt-on propels Willis Towers Watson to the market leader position in Australia in the M&A insurance space. “We now have one of the most complete financial and executive risk offering in the Australasian market to support clients in a wide range of industries.”
Earlier this week, Willis Tower Watson – the globe’s third largest insurance broker which formed in 2015 when Willis Group merged with Towers Watson in 2015 – also closed a deal in the United States, with the acquisition of health care specialist Tranzact.
