Tony Rooke joins Willis Towers Watson's Climate practice

Global advisory, broking and solutions company Willis Towers Watson has announced the appointment of Tony Rooke as Director of Climate Transition Risk in the organisation’s climate and resilience hub. Rooke arrives with more than two decades of experience in sustainability, consulting and actuarial work.

Amid the world’s growing emphasis on clean energy instead to combat the mounting climate crisis, pensions pots, insurance funds and other investors have increasingly been put under pressure to divest from the fossil fuel sector, and behave more responsibly regarding the environment. As a result, over the last decade, environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks have swiftly risen to the top of the investment community’s agenda.

As clients of pensions consultancy Willis Towers Watson come under pressure to follow suit, the firm has spent 2020 stepping up its expertise in terms of sustainability. In the spring this saw the appointment of climate and business expert Matt Scott as a Senior Director to the actuarial consultancy’s climate and resilience hub. Now, Willis Towers Watson has further bolstered its sustainability offering, with the appointment of Tony Rooke to its Climate Transition Risk team.

Rooke, who will head the unit as Director, commented, “I am excited to be joining Willis Towers Watson, which has been successfully developing an unrivalled breadth and depth of climate expertise and capabilities globally to help corporate, finance and public sector institutions prepare for and ensure future resilience. The low carbon transition is a huge opportunity for all to invest in and adapt business models with the financial services sector at the heart of making this transition happen.”

Willis Towers Watson’s climate and resilience hub pools knowledge from its people, risk and capital businesses and from its collaborations to deliver climate and resilience solutions in response to a range of regulatory, investor, consumer, employee and operating pressures.

Bringing 22 years of climate and consulting expertise from firms such as Logica (now part of CGI) and Infosys to his new role, Rooke will guide the advice and analysis Willis Towers Watson provides clients to help them navigate and thrive in the transition to a low carbon economy.

Rowan Douglas, Head of the Climate and Resilience Hub, stated, “Tony’s long experience and technical expertise and leadership is widely respected, and it is exciting to bring him onto our platform to work at the heart of the financial sector and corporate markets. Tony is helping us deliver the innovative and cutting-edge solutions being sought by our clients, to help them adapt and win the new economy.”