Willis, a WTW business, has significantly strengthened its real estate practice with a series of senior hires. Lauren McKay and Liam Hebron have joined as directors based in London, while Craig Johnson has been named executive director in Manchester. Additionally, Shaun Grainger has been appointed development director within the newly established residential real estate team, also based in London.
These appointments will enhance Willis’ capabilities in supporting a broad range of clients, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), private equity real estate (PERE) firms, private investors, pension funds, and investment managers. All four new hires will report to Paul Turnbull, managing director for real estate at Willis.
The expansion comes at a pivotal time for the UK property insurance sector, which is grappling with increased challenges due to extreme weather events. Deloitte recently reported that property insurance claims surged to £5.5 billion in 2024 — the highest annual figure since 2007. Weather-related claims alone are expected to reach £1.2 billion, more than double the average recorded between 2017 and 2020, and are set to account for 22% of all property insurance payouts this year.
New Appointments
Lauren McKay joins Willis following a five-year tenure at CBRE, where she specialised in client solutions and business development across GWS enterprise accounts, property and asset management, and advisory and transaction services. At Willis, McKay will focus on delivering bespoke real estate solutions for pan-European investors and landlords.
Liam Hebron brings extensive experience across the UK, EMEA, and North America. His previous roles at Gallagher, within management liability and financial institutions, and at Axco, focusing on insurance regulation, have equipped him with deep expertise in complex risk placement, programme structuring, and portfolio protection. At Willis, he will drive new business development in the real estate sector.
Craig Johnson will lead initiatives in Northern England and Scotland as executive director in the Manchester office. With prior experience at Lockton and Marsh, where he advised developers, contractors, and property owners, Johnson will oversee insurance placements for developers, funds, investors, and owners, while also managing OCIPs and specialist risk solutions.
Shaun Grainger, the newly appointed development director within the residential real estate team, brings two decades of experience across the financial and insurance sectors. His expertise lies in serving residential real estate clients, including build-to-rent developers, operators, and institutional investors with large-scale property portfolios.
Willis’ latest investments in talent signal its commitment to delivering specialised, innovative solutions to real estate clients as the market navigates evolving risks and opportunities.
