Willis Insurance and Risk Management
Willis Insurance and Risk Management is a family-owned independent insurance broker and risk management advisory firm headquartered in Belfast, serving commercial and private clients across the UK and Ireland with integrated insurance, risk management, wealth, HR, and employee benefits services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersBelfast, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Willis Insurance and Risk Management does
Willis IRM generates revenue primarily through brokerage commissions on insurance policies placed with a network of long-established local insurers and London market capacity, supplemented by advisory and service fees on risk management, HR, wealth management, and employee benefits engagements. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, supported by a request-a-quote website funnel, sector-specific thought leadership content, and community engagement through sponsorships such as the Basketball NI League Finals' Weekend (March 2024). Notable recent commercial moves include partnerships with Cloud8 (digital employee benefits platform for SMEs) and Equipsme/AXA PPP (affordable health insurance), pricing from £9 to £66 per employee per month. The firm holds FCA authorisation (reference 309124), Chartered Insurance Broker status, and BIBA membership, and competes on advisory depth, long-tenured client relationships (some spanning 20+ years and multiple generations), and a unique in-house claims defensibility capability rather than proprietary technology.
Willis Insurance and Risk Management firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Willis Insurance and Risk Management
- Legal name
- Willis & Company (Insurance Brokers) Ltd
- Website
- https://willisinsurance.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Willis Insurance and Risk Management is a family-owned independent insurance broker and risk management advisory firm headquartered in Belfast, serving commercial and private clients across the UK and Ireland with integrated insurance, risk management, wealth, HR, and employee benefits services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Willis Insurance and Risk Management industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Brokerage and Risk Management Services
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies) (FSAJAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary) (FSAJAGAD), Commercial Property Insurance (FSAJACAE)
Keywords
Where Willis Insurance and Risk Management is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Belfast
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Willis Insurance and Risk Management business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Insurance brokerage commissions: Willis IRM acts as an independent insurance broker placing coverage with a network of long-established local insurers and the London market. The firm earns commissions on insurance policies placed on behalf of commercial and private clients across all its service lines (insurance, risk management, employee benefits, HR consulting, and wealth management).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Equipsme Health Insurance Plan – four coverage levels from £9 to £66 per employee per month |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Motor Breakdown Recovery Service – Silver and Gold cover tiers, single vehicle and fleet options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Willis Insurance and Risk Management product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Willis Insurance and Risk Management is an independent insurance broker placing commercial and personal insurance with local insurers and London market capacity. The firm delivers integrated insurance broking, risk management consultancy, wealth management, HR consulting, employee benefits administration, and in-house accident investigation and claims handling services to businesses and private clients across Northern Ireland, the UK, and Ireland.
Product overview
Willis Insurance & Risk Management (Willis IRM) is a family-owned independent insurance broker operating as part of WF Risk Group, serving clients for over 45 years. The company offers an integrated portfolio of insurance, risk management, wealth management, HR consulting, and employee benefits services. Core products include Insurance broking across 25+ coverage types (from motor and property to cyber and professional indemnity), Risk Management consulting services, Wealth Management and financial advisory, HR Consulting, Employee Benefits schemes, and Claims handling with in-house Accident Investigation Services. The company operates specialized Centres of Excellence for Construction, Hospitality & Leisure, Private Clients, Real Estate, Management Risks, and Transportation sectors. Willis IRM also provides digital employee benefits solutions through partnerships with Cloud8 and offers the Equipsme Health Insurance Plan in partnership with AXA PPP healthcare.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Insurance Brokerage Services Comprehensive insurance broking covering property, motor, liability, cyber, professional indemnity, D&O, employers liability, environmental impairment, hotel, manufacturing, taxi, charity, nursery and care home insurance, placed with local insurers and London market capacity for businesses and individuals across the UK and Ireland.
- Risk Management Consultancy Risk assessment, contingency planning and risk management consultancy including Health & Safety Consultancy, Fleet Management Solutions, Business Continuity Planning, Fire Risk Management, Expert Witness services, Training Solutions, and consultancy covering CDM, Legionella, ergonomics, slip testing, noise surveys and environmental consulting for businesses.
- Wealth Management Independent financial advisory including investment management, family protection, personal pensions, retirement planning, venture capital trusts, keyman protection, partnership/director share protection, group personal pensions and automatic enrolment pensions for individuals and businesses.
- HR Consulting Employment services including HR consultancy, recruitment pay and reward, performance management, redundancy management, HR policies and procedures, training coaching and mentoring, salary benchmarking, and managing conduct, capability and grievance issues for employers.
- Employee Benefits Administration Group employee benefit schemes including digital benefits platform for SMEs, group income protection, group life assurance, group critical illness, group private medical insurance, group health cash plans, employee wellbeing programmes, and affordable health insurance for businesses seeking to attract and retain staff.
- Claims Services and Accident Investigation In-house accident investigation and claims handling including liability services, motor services, property services, claims consulting and claims defensibility audits, delivered through the firm's Accident Investigation Services (AIS) division for clients and insurer partners.
- Construction Centre of Excellence Specialist construction insurance covering Contractors All Risks, Erection All Risks, Public/Products Liability, Employers Liability, Non-negligent Liability (6.5.1), Professional Indemnity, Environmental Liability, Latent Defects and Performance Bonds for contractors, developers, demolition contractors, plant hire, groundwork, civil engineering, roofing, scaffolding and waste disposal firms.
- Hospitality & Leisure Insurance Insurance solutions for hotels, public houses, nightclubs and restaurants covering buildings, contents, fixtures, stock, business interruption, money, computers, guest effects, employers and public liability, loss of licence, cyber liability, ransom demands, lottery cover and employee protection.
- Private Clients (High Net Worth) Insurance Comprehensive cover for high net worth individuals including fine art, jewellery, holiday homes, performance cars, yachts, collections and executive high-value homes, with worldwide contents cover, complimentary home appraisals and a no-quibble claims service.
- Real Estate Insurance Asset management and insurance solutions for landlords, funders, solicitors and managing agents, including Fixed Charge Receivership Cover, automatic full cover for 30 days from appointment as Northern Ireland agent for a leading insolvency product, and cover for occupied and unoccupied buildings.
- Management Risks Insurance Coverage for professional advice risk, Directors & Officers liability, Employment Practices Liability, Environmental liability, Crime and Cyber risks, including Professional Indemnity, D&O and Credit Insurance for professional services firms.
- Transportation and Haulage Insurance Fleet and transport insurance covering motor (comprehensive or TPFT), goods in transit (All Risks, RHA, CMR), trailers, employers/public/products liability, property, corporate manslaughter, directors & officers liability, and annual travel with medical and repatriation costs.
- Motor Breakdown Recovery Service UK and Ireland motor breakdown recovery cover for any vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes including vans and taxis, with Silver Cover at £34.99 and Gold Cover at £49.99 (single vehicle) or £54.99 (fleet) per vehicle per annum.
- Equipsme Health Insurance Plan Affordable health insurance plan for SMEs, offered in four coverage levels from £9 to £66 per employee per month through a partnership with AXA PPP healthcare, designed for businesses wanting more than a Cash Plan but unable to afford full Private Medical Insurance.
- Digital Benefits Platform for SMEs Digital employee benefits platform delivered in partnership with Cloud8, enabling SMEs to design bespoke employee benefits packages and manage benefits digitally for attracting and retaining employees.
Quantifiable outcome
- Willis IRM AIS claims handlers deal with 100 claims per month from multi-million pound property losses, industrial injuries including fatalities, high net worth losses, and motor incidents.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Willis Insurance and Risk Management
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Willis Insurance and Risk Management technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Willis Insurance and Risk Management partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Basketball Northern IrelandminorWillis IRM was the headline sponsor of the Basketball Northern Ireland League Finals' Weekend, 21–24 March 2024. The four-day event comprised 18 finals across 3 venues, involving 36 teams and 432 players. The sponsorship aligns with Willis IRM's core values of health, wellness, and teamwork, reinforcing brand visibility in the local community.
- Cloud8coreWillis and Cloud8 partnered to introduce a digital employee benefits platform for businesses in Northern Ireland. The partnership enables SMEs to design bespoke employee benefits packages, manage benefits digitally, attract and retain employees, improve satisfaction, and boost productivity. This is a strategic go-to-market partnership targeting the SME segment with a differentiated digital offering.
- Equipsme (with AXA PPP healthcare)coreWillis IRM partnered with Equipsme and AXA PPP healthcare to offer the Equipsme Health Insurance Plan in Northern Ireland. This provides affordable health insurance for SMEs with four levels of cover ranging from £9 to £66 per employee per month. Willis IRM is one of the providers of this plan in Northern Ireland, targeting businesses seeking more than a Cash Plan but unable to afford full Private Medical Insurance.
- WF Risk GroupcoreWillis Insurance & Risk Management is part of WF Risk Group, a family-owned business operating for over 45 years. WF Risk Group has over 150 staff across the UK and Ireland. Willis IRM trades as a division of Willis & Company (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA reference 309124). Willis & Company also trades as Willis Wealth Management and Willis Employee Benefits.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Willis Insurance and Risk Management competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- NFU Mutual: UK mutual insurer with regional agent/broker model providing personal, commercial and farming lines. Comparable to Willis IRM in regional distribution strength and SME/private-client focus, though operating under a mutual rather than independent broker model.
Direct peers
- Bollington Insurance Brokers: UK mid-market commercial insurance broker with strong specialism in construction, motor trade, hospitality and property risks. Highly comparable to Willis IRM in targeting SME/mid-market commercial accounts with sector expertise and bespoke placement.
- Bluefin Insurance Group: UK mid-market insurance broker with specialty practices in construction, real estate, hospitality and management risks. Direct peer to Willis IRM given similar target customer base, centre-of-excellence approach and London-market access.
- Sutton Winson: UK commercial insurance broker specialising in construction, manufacturing, transport and property sectors. Comparable to Willis IRM in vertical specialisation, SME focus and use of London market capacity for complex risks.
- Autoline Insurance Group: Northern Ireland-headquartered insurance broker offering personal, commercial and fleet cover across NI and the wider UK. Closest regional peer to Willis IRM by geography, customer mix (SME, private clients, taxi/fleet) and independent broker identity.
- Lycetts Insurance Brokers: UK regional broker serving private clients, equestrian, rural and commercial lines with strong high-net-worth expertise. Comparable to Willis IRM in blending HNW private client work with commercial specialism and a regional/national footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Marsh Commercial: UK commercial arm of global broker Marsh, serving mid-market and corporate clients across property, casualty, construction and fleet. Comparable as a much larger incumbent competing for the same SME-to-mid-market commercial accounts Willis IRM targets.
- Aon UK: Global insurance and reinsurance broker with substantial UK mid-market and corporate presence. Relevant incumbent peer illustrating the larger competitive set that Willis IRM faces when scaling accounts beyond Northern Ireland.
- Arthur J. Gallagher (UK): Global broker with significant UK commercial and employee benefits practice serving mid-market and corporate clients. Comparable to Willis IRM in commercial lines and benefits brokerage, but at significantly larger scale and with a more developed benefits platform.
- Howden UK & Ireland: Large UK and Ireland broker (formed via Aston Lark and other acquisitions) serving mid-market and large commercial clients across Willis IRM's same sectors. Relevant incumbent comparable given shared mid-market focus, sector specialism and consolidator strategy Willis might pursue.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Willis Insurance and Risk Management social profiles
Digital presenceWillis Insurance and Risk Management financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Willis Insurance and Risk Management leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Willis Insurance and Risk Management funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Willis Insurance and Risk Management M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Willis Insurance and Risk Management
What does Willis Insurance and Risk Management do?
Willis Insurance and Risk Management is an independent insurance broker placing commercial and personal insurance with local insurers and London market capacity. The firm delivers integrated insurance broking, risk management consultancy, wealth management, HR consulting, employee benefits administration, and in-house accident investigation and claims handling services to businesses and private clients across Northern Ireland, the UK, and Ireland.
Is Willis Insurance and Risk Management a public or private company?
Willis Insurance and Risk Management is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Willis Insurance and Risk Management founded?
Willis Insurance and Risk Management was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Willis Insurance and Risk Management based?
Willis Insurance and Risk Management is headquartered in Belfast, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Willis Insurance and Risk Management make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance brokerage commissions.
Who are Willis Insurance and Risk Management's main competitors?
NFU Mutual is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Bollington Insurance Brokers, Bluefin Insurance Group, Sutton Winson, Autoline Insurance Group and Lycetts Insurance Brokers. Broad incumbents are Marsh Commercial, Aon UK, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) and Howden UK & Ireland.
Does Willis Insurance and Risk Management have an API?
No public API is recorded for Willis Insurance and Risk Management.
What industry is Willis Insurance and Risk Management in?
Willis Insurance and Risk Management's product category is Insurance Brokerage and Risk Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAFAB, Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies), with a secondary code of FSAJAGAD, Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary). Its NAICS code is 52421 and its SIC code is 6411.