Willis Towers Watson appoints new climate hub leader
The former Climate Executive of the Bank of England has joined Willis Towers Watson as a Senior Director. Matt Scott will subsequently head up the pensions consultancy’s climate and resilience hub.
Sustainability has become a major watchword in the world of pensions. Funds have increasingly been put under pressure to divest from the fossil fuel sector, with an emphasis on clean energy instead to combat the mounting climate crisis. This was reflected recently by the news that UK Parliament’s pension fund has made record investments in renewable energy, while it cut its exposure to fossil fuel companies to bring MPs’ pensions in line with the government’s climate action targets.
As clients of pensions consultancy Willis Towers Watson come under pressure to follow suit, the firm is stepping up its expertise in terms of sustainability. This has seen the appointment of climate and business expert Matt Scott as a Senior Director at the film.
Willis Towers Watson Chief Executive John Haley commented, “We are all delighted Matt has joined. He brings a unique, long standing expertise and practical experience that will further enhance the first-class climate advice and services we provide.”
Scott arrives having just spent more than a decade at the Bank of England, where he led the delivery of the Government’s landmark green finance strategy in 2019 under then-Governor Mark Carney. Scott’s new role will see him lead Willis Towers Watson’s climate and resilience hub, as it develops policy, financial regulation and green-finance advice for clients. The business hopes to help investors manage climate-related risks and opportunities as the world seeks to transition to a low-carbon economy.
Commenting himself, Scott added, “Willis Towers Watson’s combination of people, risk and capital means we are uniquely placed to help clients navigate a rapidly evolving policy landscape [and] I look forward to working with the wider team to achieve these goals.”
The appointment comes one month on from the news that Willis Towers Watson is set to be purchased by rival Aon for an estimated £23 billion. The all-inclusive share deal would see the combined entity become the UK’s largest pension consulting firm, a year after another mega-deal saw Mercer take that title.