Willis Group Holdings plc, the global risk advisory, re/insurance broking, and human capital and benefits firm, has opened its Operational Center of Excellence in Tampa, Fla. Establishing the Center is part of Willis’s strategy to enhance client service via a robust technology and operational platform.
According to the company, Willis has deep roots in Florida where it places employee benefits and complex property/casualty insurance programs for many of the state’s large corporate and middle market businesses.
Willis currently operates eight retail insurance brokerage offices in Florida, including its existing Tampa office. The new Tampa location expands the brokers’ regional presence and will serve as a dedicated support center for Willis’s North America business. Teams of insurance professionals will utilize the latest client facing technology, insurance accounting, policy and claim management systems and analytical tools. The new hub will bring at least 157 new jobs to Tampa Bay by 2017.
State and local officials, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, joined Willis for an official opening reception Dec. 17.
“We are excited to announce the creation of 157 jobs for families in Tampa. Willis Group Holdings could have chosen any location for their new Operational Center of Excellence, but they knew that Florida was the best place to grow their business and create new jobs,” Scott said.
Willis invested $9.05 million in capital as part of its commitment to Tampa and the Florida marketplace, the company said. The move is also part of Willis’s broader strategy to grow its business and revamp its service delivery with enhanced operational systems and investments in infrastructure, technology platforms, data and analytical tools.
According to Jeff Elliott, director of Operations, Willis North America, the Tampa market offers a an opportunity for Willis with its growing financial and professional services industry, vibrant economy, strong workforce and proximity to large cities. “It’s also home to a large insurance community from which to draw talent,” he said.
The Center is made possible through a joint partnership between Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Willis’s Operational Center of Excellence is located at 3407 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Tampa.
Topics Florida
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