What’s new: In brief (February 09, 2007)

Willis Group Holdings shared its experience of transparency at a public hearing in Brussels recently on business insurance that was hosted by the European Commission (EC).At the public panel discussions, the EC presented the preliminary findings of a Europe-wide Sector Inquiry into competition in member states in relation to business insurance. Speaking on behalf of Willis, Richard Bucknall, vice chairman, cited the company’s commitment to transparency as a fundamental component to the broker-client relationship. “In representing our clients, we subscribe to the very simple view that they should know what we earn in exchange for the services and valuewe deliver, and that applies to all clients, small, medium and large,” Bucknall said.He went on to say, “Brokers who ignore their clients’ best interests do so at their own peril.”Bucknall said that while implementing transparency may have been something of a challenge given the vast number of changes needed -and the need for people to change the way they think – the benefits have created a more open and professional partnership between Willis and its clients.

ING donated $2.5 million to the Richard Ivey School of Business. The donation will help fund the new campus in downtown Toronto. To mark the donation, the campus will be named the ING Leadership Centre. The ING Leadership Centre will be home to Ivey’s top-ranked Executive MBA program and offer a range of Executive Development programs.”ING and Ivey are well aligned,” said Arkadi Kuhlmann, chairman, president, and CEO of ING Direct, USA. “Like ING, Ivey is a leader in establishing new business models, anticipating and managing change, and constantly innovating – most recently, with the launch of Cross-EnterpriseLeadership. ING’s business model transcends banking, insurance and investment management. Both organizations are unique which makes this an excellent fit.”