Marsh's Collins to Chair World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries
Christopher Collins has been named chairman of the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (WFII) for 2000. Collins is a managing director of Marsh Inc. and was the 1999 co-chairman of The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers.
The WFII represents more than 400,000 professional insurance intermediaries who handle the vast majority of insurance placements globally. The organization speaks agents and brokers from 86 national associations across Europe, Africa, North America and South America, with an observer group from Japan. WFII works with international institutions and regulators to deepen the understanding of the role played by insurance intermediaries in global commerce.
It was formed in a historic agreement in Washington, DC at a January 1999 meeting of 28 global representatives (see "Global Federation Launched By Agent, Broker Groups").
WFII was created to promote the increasingly vital role of insurance intermediaries in today's economy, providing a powerful voice to advance their interests and to provide innovative solutions at the international level.
Collins will act as the association's second chairman. Founding chairman Jan Weitenberg of Holland shepherded WFII through its inaugural year.
Collins says it is vital for WFII to fulfill its mandate to ``speak with one voice'' on behalf of global insurance intermediaries. ``For the year 2000, I believe that the primary goal of this organization is to provide a forum for discussion of policy, through which we reach a global consensus,'' Collins explained.
Collins, who has responsibility for Marsh Inc.'s Japanese and Korean operations, also hopes that WFII will attract more representation in Asia during 2000. ``I would like to see broader regional representation in WFII,'' Collins says. ``We must be a comprehensive organization.''
Collins joined Marsh in 1980 as an assistant vice president. He has served as head of the International Committee of the National Association of Insurance Brokers (NAIB), which merged with The Council in 1998. Collins was co-chairman of The Council in 1999. The Council is one of the founding members of the WFII and hosted the January 1999 international meeting at which the WFII was formed.