Marsh Inc., the world's leading insurance broker and risk advisor, has announced the appointments of three senior executives to lead global operations, operational risk, and strategic planning. The executives are: Robert G. Petrie, named head of Global Operations; Jeffrey S. Sharer, head of Global Operational Risk Management, and Scott M. Laiken, head of Global Strategic Planning.

The three executives report to Joseph A. Varnas, chief operating officer of Marsh Inc. and will focus on providing support across each of Marsh's key business segments — Risk Management, Middle Market, Small Commercial, and Consumer — as they continue to grow and work to deliver greater value for clients.

"We are continuing to invest in the critical infrastructure necessary to transform Marsh into a truly global enterprise that is characterized by a consistently high level of quality across all of our operations worldwide," said Mr. Varnas. "I'm delighted that Bob, Jeff, and Scott will be leading these three vital functions that will help facilitate the firm's transformation, enhance global client service, and improve efficiency and productivity."

Mr. Petrie, who has been with Marsh for 20 years, previously was head of the firm's Americas Operating Group. He will now lead the transformation of Marsh's regional operating platforms into a worldwide function that will standardize and centralize several of the firm's core administrative processes, including fiduciary accounting, document management, and claims administration.

Mr. Sharer will be responsible for developing and implementing a global operational risk management approach throughout Marsh, beginning with improving the firm's ability to identify and quantify its risks around the world and to enhance the quality of risk information across its business segments. He joins Marsh from Goldman Sachs, where he led Corporate Insurance and Risk Advisory Services. He also was president and an officer of several Goldman Sachs insurance subsidiaries. Earlier in his career, he was with Aon Risk Services and Alexander & Alexander. He is a graduate of Pace University School of Law and Moravian College.

Mr. Laiken and his team will design and implement a rigorous, disciplined approach to strategic planning throughout Marsh. He joins Marsh from the Insurance Practice of Oliver Wyman, which, like Marsh, is an operating company of MMC, where he developed growth strategies for firms in the insurance, retirement and group benefits industries. He also served in the firm's Financial Services Industry practice. During his career, Mr. Laiken has worked with numerous insurance companies, brokers, and service providers, as well as with private equity firms that invest in the insurance industry. Mr. Laiken has a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University's Graduate School of Industrial Administration and a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University.

Marsh has 26,000 employees and provides advice and transactional capabilities to clients in over 100 countries. Marsh is a unit of Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), a global professional services firm with approximately 55,000 employees and approximately $12 billion of annual revenues. MMC also is the parent company of Guy Carpenter, Kroll, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Oliver Wyman, and Putnam Investments. MMC's stock (ticker symbol: MMC) is listed on the New York, Chicago, and London stock exchanges. MMC's Web Site is www.mmc.com.

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