Marsh, the leading global insurance broker and risk advisor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, today announced that it has appointed Bill Pieroni to the role of Chief Operating Officer, effective September 19.  Mr. Pieroni will be responsible for the firm’s global operations, and will focus on the Marsh platform in order to maximize performance and to deliver superior, differentiated value to our clients. He will be based in New York and report to Peter Zaffino, President and CEO of Marsh Inc.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Zaffino said: “Achieving operational excellence is a critical element of our business strategy as it strengthens our capabilities to serve our clients more effectively. The appointment of Bill Pieroni, a distinguished industry leader with a tremendous track record in organizational transformation, will give us greater focus as we ensure that our business is well positioned to meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

Mr. Pieroni joins Marsh from State Farm where, as Senior Vice President and part of the Office of the Chairman, he was responsible for U.S. and international strategic planning, competitor and consumer research, internal consulting, as well as leading key transformational initiatives across the enterprise.

Prior to joining State Farm in 2006, Mr. Pieroni served as Aon’s Senior Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer with responsibility for operations across retail, wholesale, and reinsurance brokerage. His extensive insurance and financial services background also includes General Manager of IBM’s $7 billion insurance business, a partner at Accenture, and consultant with McKinsey & Company.