WTW business Willis has expanded its real estate team with a series of new hires. Lauren McKay (pictured above, left) and Liam Hebron (pictured above, right) have joined as directors based in London, while Craig Johnson has been appointed executive director in Manchester.
Shaun Grainger joins as development director within the newly formed residential real estate team, based in London.
The new hires will support a range of clients, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), private equity real estate (PERE) firms, private investors, pension funds, and investment managers.
Willis said that the appointments are intended to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in helping clients manage and mitigate risk across property portfolios. The focus will be on delivering risk-focused solutions to a broad range of real estate clients.
McKay, Hebron, Johnson and Grainger will report to Paul Turnbull, managing director for real estate at Willis.
Turnbull said the new team members enhance the firm’s ability to deliver tailored, risk-focused solutions for real estate investors and landlords navigating a changing market.
The company’s expansion in the real estate market comes amid notable shifts, with UK property insurers facing substantial challenges due to severe weather events.
In 2024, Deloitte reported that property insurance claims reached £5.5 billion for the year, marking the highest payout since 2007. Notably, weather-related claims – encompassing floods, storms, freezes, and subsidence – are projected to total £1.2 billion, doubling the annual levels observed between 2017 and 2020.
These weather-related claims are anticipated to constitute 22% of the total payouts by UK property insurers in 2024.
McKay previously worked at CBRE for five years in client solutions and business development across GWS enterprise accounts, property and asset management, and advisory and transaction services. Her focus at Willis will be on providing real estate client solutions for pan-European investors and landlords.
Hebron joins with experience across the UK, EMEA, and North America, having worked with Gallagher in management liability and financial institutions, and with Axco in insurance regulation. His role will centre on developing new business in the real estate sector, using his expertise in complex risk placement, programme structuring, and portfolio protection.
Johnson joins the Manchester office as executive director within the real estate practice. He brings experience from Lockton and Marsh, where he advised developers, contractors, and property owners, leading regional growth initiatives.
Johnson’s responsibilities will include placing insurance for developers, funds, investors, and property owners, as well as overseeing OCIPs and specialist risk solutions for Northern England and Scotland.
Grainger will take on the role of development director within the residential real estate team. He brings 20 years of experience in the financial and insurance industries, with a focus on residential real estate clients such as build-to-rent developers and operators, and investors with extensive property portfolios.
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