Gallagher Australia has appointed Katherine Simmonds, most recently with Willis Towers Watson, as Head of Corporate.

Ms Simmonds will be based in Gallagher’s North Sydney offices but will work with teams around Australia. The appointment is effective from March.

Previously, Ms Simmonds was GM Head of Corporate, Risk & Brokerage at Willis Towers Watson, joining the firm in 2017 after leading Ironshore Australia.

Prior roles have also included Head of M&A Insurance (Warranty & Indemnity) at AIG, while her earlier career involved corporate law and management consulting in banking, wealth, risk and insurance.

She is currently an advisory board director for the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance and holds a law and commerce degree.

“Katie is obviously highly qualified and comes to us with some terrific experience,” Gallagher CEO Sarah Lyons said.

“However, what really stood out to us was her passion for clients, her growth mindset, and a genuine desire to create a sustainable culture that brings the best out in her team.”