Willis Re has appointed two former Guy Carpenter executives to lead its most strategically important operations.
John Fletcher (pictured, left) takes over as chief executive officer of Willis Re Bermuda, while Jim Summers (pictured, right) becomes chief executive officer of global specialties. Both appointments are effective 11 June 2026.
Fletcher brings more than 35 years of experience across the reinsurance and retrocession sectors. He joins from Guy Carpenter, where he served as CEO of Bermuda since 2018. He first moved to the island in 2013 to head Guy Carpenter’s property retrocession team.
In his new role, Fletcher will lead Willis Re’s Bermuda platform and oversee all operational activities. He will also be responsible for driving business growth and the continued development of the firm’s local team.
Fletcher steps into the role at a time when Bermuda’s position in global reinsurance is well established.
According to Aon’s Global Insurance Market Insights report, reinsurance capacity has expanded globally and pricing is easing. Bermuda plays a central role in supplying property market capital.
Aon described the current environment as “ample” and increasingly competitive. The softening was driven by two years of profitability and retained earnings rather than any change in market fundamentals.
Lucy Clarke, board member of Willis Re, said Fletcher’s career had been “defined by strong leadership, deep technical expertise and lasting client relationships.” She said his appointment would support the firm’s long-term ambitions in Bermuda.
Fletcher said he saw significant opportunity to build a differentiated proposition around expertise, collaboration and lasting relationships: “I look forward to working with the team to establish Willis Re as a trusted force in the Bermuda reinsurance market.”
Summers, meanwhile, will lead the strategic direction across all specialty classes globally. He has more than 40 years of experience across the Lloyd’s and international reinsurance broking markets.
He most recently served as deputy CEO of global specialties and global head of marine and energy specialty at Guy Carpenter. Before that, he was chief executive of Cooper Gay and Co Ltd from 2006.
Clarke said Summers had “an outstanding track record of building long-term client partnerships and high-performing businesses.” Summers said he looked forward to strengthening Willis Re’s specialty capabilities and supporting “clients operating in an increasingly complex global risk environment.”
Both Fletcher and Summers arrived at Willis Re through a period of legal dispute with their former employer. In July 2025, Guy Carpenter filed suit in London’s High Court alleging that Willis Re ran a coordinated recruitment drive across three continents.
Court filings showed that on 10 June 2025, five Bermuda-based staff including Fletcher left Guy Carpenter on the same day London employees resigned. Two further Bermuda departures followed days later.
A High Court judgment in February 2026 found that Fletcher and Summers improperly assisted Willis Re’s hiring push before resigning from Guy Carpenter in mid-2025. The court identified unlawful means conspiracies involving the sharing of confidential compensation data.
The judge, however, rejected the broader allegation of a systematic poaching scheme. He found the conduct went “slightly further than was admitted by them at the trial, but not to the extent alleged by Guy Carpenter.”
Guy Carpenter said it was “pleased” with the finding, calling the conduct something that “undermines trust and integrity in the market.” Financial damages were deferred to a later phase of proceedings.
