Willis: Rising threats, political evacuations and kidnap shaped the 2025 crisis management landscape
Rhea-AI Summary
Willis (NASDAQ:WTW) reports that incidents involving threats to people or client assets rose by more than a third in 2025, representing 37% of Alert:24 notifications. Political repatriation accounted for 19% of incidents, and Sub-Saharan Africa recorded over a quarter of notifications, with nearly half originating in the DRC.
The report notes a 10% rise in clients assisted in the first 11 months of 2025 and warns that geopolitical volatility, economic pressure and activism will keep risk elevated into 2026.
Positive
- Threat incidents composed 37% of Alert:24 notifications in 2025
- Client assistance requests rose by 10% in first 11 months of 2025
Negative
- Kidnap and extortion risks intensified and expanded into lower‑risk states in 2025
- Sub‑Saharan Africa accounted for >25% of incidents; nearly 50% originated in DRC
- Political repatriation made up 19% of 2025 incident notifications
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
WTW fell 3.34% with heavy volume, while key peers were mixed: AJG (-3.03%), AON (-1.70%), MMC (-1.36%), BRO (-0.22%), and ERIE up 1.37%. The lack of broad, same-direction moves and no peers in the momentum scanner suggest this was more stock-specific than a pure sector rotation.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 09 | Pension assets report | Positive | -12.1% | Global pension assets hit a record, highlighting industry growth trends. |
| Feb 09 | RiskAgility upgrade | Positive | -12.1% | Launch of enhanced VM-22-compliant modeling for non-variable annuities. |
| Feb 03 | Earnings release | Positive | +5.8% | Q4 and FY 2025 results with margin expansion and strong EPS. |
| Feb 02 | AI platform launch | Positive | -0.3% | Debut of Rewards AI compensation intelligence platform for HR teams. |
| Jan 29 | Cat loss warning | Negative | +0.6% | Warning that >US$100B catastrophe losses may mask structural risks. |
Across recent news, WTW often showed divergence between headline tone and next-day price, with only one clearly aligned move out of five events.
Recent WTW news featured a mix of strategic, macro, and product updates. On Feb 3, Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings showed $2.94B quarterly and $9.71B full-year revenue, with adjusted EPS of $8.12 and $17.08 and higher margins, and the stock rose 5.84%. Other generally constructive items—such as the Rewards AI launch and a report on US$100 billion cat losses—saw muted or negative reactions. The new crisis-management review continues a theme of WTW publishing data-driven risk insights to clients.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights a 37% share of incidents tied to threats against people or assets and a notable 19% linked to political repatriation in 2025, underscoring a complex global risk backdrop. It reinforces WTW’s positioning around intelligence-led crisis support via Alert:24. In context of recent earnings strength and ongoing product innovation, key factors to watch include how demand for risk advisory, political risk management, and evacuation planning evolves as geopolitical volatility and social unrest persist.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
LONDON, Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Incidents involving threats to individuals or client assets increased by more than a third in 2025, accounting for
2025 was a year that continued to reshape the global risk environment. Geopolitical volatility, economic pressure, shifting alliances and the rise of youth-led activism created sustained uncertainty for organisations operating internationally. Amid escalating conflicts, political division and social unrest, businesses faced a more complex risk environment, requiring them to safeguard people and assets, maintain operations, and strengthen long-term resilience.
The overall volume of incidents remained broadly consistent with recent years, while the nature of the risks evolved. Rising threat alerts in regions of escalating geopolitical risk drove increased demand for intelligence and support, while ongoing instability in high-risk markets continued to test organisational preparedness. Looking ahead to 2026, businesses face an operating environment marked by persistent unpredictability. The interplay between political dynamics, economic pressures and rapidly shifting security conditions will continue to test organisational resilience.
Other key takeaways include:
- Threat frequency: The broad range of perils facing Alert:24’s clients followed a similar pattern on a monthly basis to that of 2024, with the exception of a deviation in June, following the Iran-Israel conflict. This caused higher repatriation assistance demand, as well as situational information, safety advice and intelligence analysis. Overall, there was a
10% rise in the total number of clients assisted in the first 11 months of the year, compared with the same period in 2024. Incident notification frequency remained relatively consistent with previous years. - Prominent trends: In 2025, kidnap and extortion risks increasingly reflected broader global instability, with threats intensifying in traditionally high-risk countries and emerging in states previously considered lower risk. Persistent political, social, and economic fragilities enabled organised criminal groups, particularly in Latin America and West Africa, to use kidnapping and extortion to generate revenue, exert control, and challenge state authority.
- Regional distribution of incidents: In 2025, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest number of client notifications for the third consecutive year, accounting for over a quarter of incidents, with nearly half originating in the DRC amid ongoing conflict, disease, and criminality. North America followed closely, Latin America saw an overall decline and Europe and Asia Pacific continued to report the fewest notifications, consistent with 2024.
Beyond 2025, episodes of political instability will reshape global trade, creating an environment of ongoing uncertainty where a single event can trigger widespread commercial disruption. As a result, firms that can anticipate and swiftly adapt to political risks affecting their international supply chains are better positioned to outperform competitors.
Jo Holliday, global head of crisis management, said: “We heard from many clients that 2025 was a challenging year. Across every region, our Crisis Management and Alert:24 teams helped clients navigate a complex threat landscape through diverse incidents. Through this experience and our Crisis Management Review, our aim is to provide leaders with clear, data-driven insights to help them interpret these dynamics and take informed next steps.”
The report can be downloaded here.
About WTW
At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.
Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success - and provide perspective that moves you.
Learn more at wtwco.com.
Media contacts
Jo Barrett
jo.barrett@wtwco.com / +44 7940703911
Lauren David
lauren.david@wtwco.com / +44 7385947619
FAQ
What proportion of Alert:24 incidents were threat-related in 2025 for WTW?
How did political repatriation factor into WTW's 2025 crisis management data?
Which regions saw the highest incident notifications in WTW's 2025 review?
Did WTW report a change in the number of clients needing assistance in 2025?
What future risks does WTW identify for businesses entering 2026?
