Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (WTW) reports developments across its advisory, broking and solutions businesses in people, risk and capital. News commonly covers earnings from Health, Wealth & Career and Risk & Broking, insurance brokerage and risk consulting activity, employee benefits, workplace pensions, benefits delivery and outsourcing, and insurance consulting technology.
Company updates also include product launches such as transactional-risk insurance, catastrophe and reputational-risk research, AI and technology adoption, acquisition integration in brokerage and workplace savings, leadership appointments, share repurchase plans and client or brand partnerships.
Willis, a WTW (WTW) business, appointed Robert Staeheli as Head of Defense and Security for North America. Based in Washington, D.C., he will lead strategy and growth for defense and security clients across the U.S. and Canada while retaining his role as Metro D.C. Market Leader.
The appointment follows the October 22 launch of Willis’ global Defense and Security initiative, led by Jennifer Caldarella. Staeheli will bring together specialty, placement and client service teams to provide risk advisory and insurance broking services across North America.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $2.46 billion, up 8% from the same quarter a year earlier. Organic revenue grew 4%. Diluted earnings per share rose 4% to $3.24, while net income increased 1% to $309 million. Operating margin fell 90 basis points to 17.4%; adjusted operating margin rose 150 basis points to 21.9%.
Health, Wealth & Career revenue grew 7%, and Risk & Broking revenue increased 8%. Nine-month operating cash flow reached $1.2 billion, versus $1.0 billion a year earlier. Quarterly share repurchases totaled $220 million.
WTW expects its Propel AI plan, running through December 2028, to deliver approximately $350 million in net annualized savings and approximately 30% adjusted operating margin in 2028. Expected costs include approximately $625 million in cash investment and $25 million in non-cash charges. The company expects mid-single-digit organic revenue growth in 2026.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) released survey findings showing U.S. employers expect healthcare cost growth to reach its fastest pace since the early 2000s.
Employers project costs will rise 11.1% in 2027 before plan changes and 9.7% after changes. Pharmacy costs are expected to increase 11.5% in 2026, versus 9% in 2025. High-cost claimants and pharmacy spending were cited as cost pressures by 86% and 83% of employers, respectively.
49% say significant healthcare program changes will be needed within three years, up from 34% last year. Coverage of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss declined from 57% to 53%; 30% of employers retaining coverage are considering eliminating it. By 2028, 85% are planning or considering shifting costs through employee premium contributions, versus 44% doing so today. Meanwhile, 84% are planning or considering taking health plans or vendors out to bid, up from 39% today.
Willis, a WTW (WTW) business, published its Mining Risk Review 2026, urging miners to review insurance programmes amid buyer-friendly conditions. Willis describes abundant capacity and competition as drivers of lower rates, with global liability capacity exceeding US$1.2 billion after eight consecutive years of increases. The review also highlights interconnected supply chain, cyber and climate risks, alongside continued scrutiny of tailings storage facilities.
WTW (WTW) published survey findings showing specialty insurance rate reductions accelerated in the first half of 2026 and at July renewals. Insurance and reinsurance rates each declined 4% gross of trend and 6% net of trend in the first six months. At the 1 July insurance renewals, rates fell 6% gross and 9% net, with property down 17% net of trend.
All 15 material insurance and reinsurance classes recorded net-of-claims-trend decreases in the first half. The survey uses insurer-owned data from participating WTW clients across London, Bermuda and U.S. excess and surplus markets, covering approximately $300 billion in gross written premium over a 10-year cycle.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) launched Via Retirement in the US, extending its wealth business into financial solutions for people entering retirement. The offering combines personalized investment advice, retirement scenario modeling, access to investment model portfolios and an annuity marketplace. WTW aims to help individuals move from accumulating retirement savings to managing income in retirement.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) announced that its Willis business has launched a global Defense and Security initiative led by Jennifer Caldarella. The initiative connects specialists across Willis’ businesses and geographies to serve defense and security organizations.
The platform brings together insurance risk transfer, risk advice and analytics, cyber and data security, crisis management, claims, risk engineering, operational resilience, workforce risk, and capital and transaction advice. Willis said the coordinated approach is intended to help clients understand interconnected risks across operations, assets, supply chains and investments. The company describes the initiative as a long-term commitment to the sector, addressing client challenges associated with technological change, regulatory requirements and delivery timelines.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) published a Willis survey showing 70% of organisations formally integrate cyber risk into board-level risk frameworks. The 2026 Directors’ & Officers’ Liability Insurance Survey: Cyber in Focus found 65% of boards receive cybersecurity and threat updates at least quarterly.
Potential cyber losses are quantified annually by 19% of respondents and on an ongoing basis by 41%. However, only 55% feel well informed about their organisation’s cyber risks, and 46% believe their board understands how effectively cybersecurity spending reduces exposure. Cyber insurance is in place for 48% of respondents, while another 19% plan to buy it within two years.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) released survey findings showing U.S. employees report better health but less financial security than in 2019. Financial security fell from 46% to 36%, its lowest level in seven years, while the share reporting they were physically thriving rose from 54% to 64%.
Among employees in their 40s, 30% felt financially secure and 41% delayed or skipped doctor visits last year because of money worries. Employees reporting high financial distress lost 23.6 days to absence and working while impaired, versus 11.7 days for those reporting low distress. Across U.S. employees, 65% expected a worse retirement than their parents’ generation, and 47% cited healthcare costs as a barrier to saving. Employees ranked improving core benefits ahead of greater choice or better access tools. WTW said employers should focus on affordable coverage and support for financially strained employees.
WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) published a study with MSCI Institute identifying artificial intelligence as the top strategic priority among participating global asset owners. AI was cited by 67% of participants disclosing data for that measure, ahead of adapting to higher inflation at 44%. The research covered 20 global asset owners responsible for more than US$5 trillion in combined assets.
Participants expect technology’s contribution to investment outcomes to rise from approximately 17% today to 30% over the next three to five years. Readiness remains uneven: only 25% have AI as a standing board or investment committee agenda item, while three-quarters cite data quality and standardization as a leading constraint on adoption.