Davies Promoted To Aon Re Worldwide Chairman

Aon Group, Inc. has announced that Paul Davies has been named chairman of Aon Re Worldwide, its global reinsurance intermediary, effective January 1, 1999. Davies, currently vice chairman, replaces Ronald Iles, who will continue to serve on the board of directors of Aon Re Worldwide and several other Aon companies in the UK and continental Europe.

Aon also announced that Vincent Redier in Paris and Jurgen Grupe in Hamburg have been added to the board.

Davies is an executive vice president and director of Aon Group, Inc., responsible for global interdependence and strategic partnership issues. He is also chairman of Aon Re, Inc., the US reinsurance arm of Aon Re Worldwide. Davies became a reinsurance broker in 1961, and was later president and owner of Reinsurance Agency, Inc., which was acquired by Aon Corporation in 1988. He holds a doctorate in jurisprudence from Chicago's DePaul University as well as a Masters in Business Administration.

Iles began his reinsurance career more than 40 years ago with Alexander Howden Group and became its chairman in 1981. He joined Aon Corporation in 1996 after Aon acquired the Group's holding company, Alexander & Alexander Services, Inc.

Redier, chairman of Aon Holdings France, served for 20 years as chairman and CEO of Group Le Blanc de Nicolay, the largest independent reinsurance broker in Continental Europe until it was acquired by Aon earlier this year.

Grupe, managing partner of Aon Jauch & Hubener KgaA, joined its reinsurance operations more than 30 years ago. Aon acquired Jauch & Hubener, Germany's premier insurance broker, in 1997.