M&A Transformers: Episode 03
Insights from Gallagher’s transformational acquisition and integration
When Gallagher acquired Willis Re (Willis Towers Watson’s reinsurance business) it set out on a transformative journey to integrate the business. It was an opportunity to elevate Gallagher to a leading global position within the reinsurance sector but also to build capability to execute future landmark deals.
In this video, Gallagher’s leaders share how they navigated the integration of a business of significant size and complexity and share insights on the planning and execution that went into ensuring a seamless Day 1 client and employee experience.
The scale of the integration challenge was significant and required strong governance, programme management and scaling the integration capability fast. It involved moving 2,500 people and 130+ applications and a 1.5 petabyte mountain of data - all in under one year.
Gallagher had never taken on an acquisition of this scale... we weren't just consuming them [Willis Re] whole, we were carving them out from an existing business.
- Ash Clarke, Director of Strategic Programmes, Gallagher
How Deloitte supported
Deloitte’s integrated M&A and transformation team supported Gallagher through the acquisition and integration of Willis Re (Willis Towers Watson’s reinsurance business) in a number of ways including: pre-completion Day 1 planning / delivery, TSA structuring advice and management, technology delivery including applications and enterprise systems migrations, tactical and platform integration implementation, infrastructure and data migration, organisational design and rationalisation, quality assurance, regulatory and compliance advice, complex global accounting standards guidance, tax VAT recovery, working capital analysis, complex data protection advice, and complex advice on sanctions responses. This was co-ordinated centrally in the UK across 33 jurisdictions globally with support provided throughout the integration timeline.
