W

WTW

Global risk management, insurance brokerage, consulting

Senior Director of Service Delivery

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's, MBA
Dorking, UK
HybridHybrid role; some on-site days in Reigate, UK.
IT Operations

About the job

Requirements
  • Significant experience in service management or service delivery leadership roles within a B2B software or technology services organisation.
  • Proven track record leading a multi-location, global service management function of 50+ people.
  • Demonstrated experience managing and improving service delivery and client support operations, with strong ITSM knowledge and practice (ITIL Managing Professional or equivalent level of practical knowledge).
  • Strong client-facing leadership capability, with experience representing service delivery at executive and C-suite level.
  • Highly data-driven, with the ability to translate service metrics into actionable insight, decisions, and improvement plans.
  • Commercially astute, with the ability to understand and influence the commercial impact of service decisions.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a global, matrixed organisational environment.
  • Strong decision-making and critical thinking skills, with a proactive and strategic mindset.
  • Experience leading complex cross-functional programmes and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Experience driving organisational change and building a culture of continuous improvement.
Responsibilities
  • Define and execute the service strategy across ICT's product portfolio, ensuring service delivery, client experience, and commercial priorities are aligned.
  • Set the operating model direction for the service function, balancing client demand, cost-to-serve, and continuous improvement.
  • Lead cross-regional service teams (UK, Manila, Mexico, Japan etc) with clear accountability, succession planning, and a high-performance culture.
  • Own the translation of regulatory expectations into service design and controls, embedding compliance into day-to-day service delivery (including resilience, reporting and third-party management).
  • Champion a client-centric service culture across product and engineering teams, ensuring service considerations are embedded in product lifecycle decisions; including service introduction, support and operational model design, and ongoing evolution.
  • Contribute as a senior member of the ICT Technology team, providing service and operational perspective to broader business decisions.
  • Support broader initiatives (e.g. regulatory compliance, transformation, tooling, and commercial models etc) leveraging domain expertise.
  • Own end-to-end service performance across all ICT products, covering service desk, incident management, problem management, and escalation handling as well as further ITIL service processes.
  • Establish, track, and drive performance against KPIs and SLAs, maintaining operational discipline and data-led management.
  • Lead major incident management for complex, high-impact client issues, including executive-level communication, resolution governance, and post-incident review.
  • Ensure consistent service quality across differing product stacks, support models, and client expectations across all geographies.
  • Function as the senior client-facing leader for service delivery, owning service representation in key client relationships through the support of the product stacks and their teams including service reviews and escalations.
  • Own the client-facing service model: service review cadences, reporting, SLA governance, and escalation handling.
  • Lead the development of coordinated client transparent service and incident communications
  • Ensure consistent, high-quality client communication for incidents, planned maintenance, and service performance, building trust and supporting client retention and growth.
  • Define and own the ITSM tooling strategy, ensuring platforms support scalable, consistent service delivery across products and regions.
  • Define and evolve service data, reporting, and client transparency capabilities, ensuring cross-product visibility and actionable insight for internal and client decision-making.
  • Drive standardisation and optimisation of ITSM tooling, automation, and self-service capability across the function.
  • Identify and adopt AI-assisted capabilities (e.g., intelligent triage, predictive incident detection, automated resolution workflows) to improve service efficiency and quality.
  • Manage ITSM and service tooling vendor relationships, including contract oversight and performance management.
  • Lead end-to-end service transition for new products and major launches, ensuring operational readiness across service, and client-facing service teams prior to go-live.
  • Define and embed standardised transition frameworks covering support model design, SLAs, documentation, tooling configuration, and knowledge transfer.
  • Coordinate cross-functional readiness to ensure capability, capacity, and governance are in place to support stable day-one and ongoing operations.
  • Act as the service function's voice in product development and launch planning, ensuring supportability requirements are defined and met before release.
  • Define and lead the service improvement agenda, prioritising initiatives based on client impact, operational performance, and commercial outcomes.
  • Drive cross-product standardisation and maturity uplift to ensure consistent service practices, controls, and client experience.
  • Benchmark service practices against ITIL and industry standards, identifying and closing maturity gaps.
  • Embed a data-led improvement culture, using service metrics, client feedback, and trend analysis to drive decisions and demonstrate progress.
  • Lead, develop, and inspire a global, multi-disciplinary service management function, creating an environment of high performance, accountability, and continuous learning.
  • Define the organisational structure and workforce plan for the service function, ensuring appropriate capability, capacity, and geographic coverage.
  • Build clear career pathways and development opportunities to attract, retain, and grow talent across the function.
  • Manage succession planning for key roles, ensuring organisational resilience and leadership continuity.
  • Drive high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction, fostering an inclusive and collaborative team culture across global locations.
  • Own the service function's OPEX budget, managing cost-to-serve across service operations and balancing efficiency with client experience.
  • Optimise resource allocation across onshore/offshore delivery models, coverage structures, and FTE planning.
  • Provide input into commercial models, pricing constructs, and contractual service terms, ensuring alignment between service capability, risk, and margin.
  • Support sales, RFP, and client negotiations where service delivery is a differentiator, providing commercial and operational insight.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience in insurance, financial services, or regulated B2B software markets.
  • Familiarity with relevant regulatory frameworks affecting software service delivery (e.g., DORA, FCA operational resilience requirements).
  • Experience adopting AI/automation within service operations.
  • ITIL Managing Professional or ITIL Strategic Leader certification.
  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Management, Information Technology, or a related field; MBA is an advantage.

About the company

Willis Towers Watson helps organizations manage risk and people programs by offering advisory, brokerage, and technology-based solutions. It operates in two segments: Risk & Broking, which identifies, quantifies, and places insurance coverage for clients from small businesses to large corporations; and Health, Wealth & Career, which provides consulting, technology, and administration services for health benefits, retirement plans, and talent management. The company differentiates itself by combining advisory services, technology platforms, and brokerage capabilities under one umbrella to deliver integrated risk management and people solutions globally. Its goal is to turn risk into a path for growth by aligning risk management with health, retirement, and talent strategies to support organizational success.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1828

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q2 2026 revenue reached $2.47 billion, up 9% year over year.
  • Propel targets roughly 30% adjusted operating margin by 2028, announced July 30, 2026.
  • WTW signed a Sept. 30, 2026 Sapien partnership for mid-market M&A HR software.

What critics are saying

  • WTW sued Lockton on Aug. 24, 2026 after 18 construction brokers defected.
  • Q2 operating margin fell to 14.8%, and net income dropped 30%.
  • Repeated team defections to Lockton hollow WTW’s brokerage franchise market by market.

What makes WTW unique

  • WTW’s Radar platform powers Zurich’s global pricing rollout across retail lines, Sept. 21, 2026.
  • Newfront added deep U.S. middle-market specialty broking and technology, Jan. 27, 2026.
  • WTW combines consulting, broking, and software across 140 countries and markets.

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Benefits

Remote Work Options

Company News

Insurance Business
Oct 12th, 2026
WTW deepens commercial lines ICT bench with MGA underwriting veteran

WTW deepens commercial lines ICT bench with MGA underwriting veteran. Darrel Beaton joins from Effectus Insurance, where he served as chief underwriting officer for 16 years Oct 12, 2026 WTW has appointed Darrel Beaton (pictured) as director of underwriting within its insurance consulting and technology (ICT) business in North America, effective October 5. Beaton joins from Effectus Insurance Managers, a commercial lines managing general agent, where he spent 16 years as chief underwriting officer overseeing underwriting strategy, product development, and portfolio profitability across a broad range of commercial lines, according to his LinkedIn profile. Background and remit. Beaton brings more than 30 years of commercial underwriting experience, including earlier roles as senior director of product management at USAA and SVP of risk and product management at Advanced Insurance Management eSolutions, where he advised insurers, reinsurers, and MGA/MGUs on underwriting operations and product development. His career has run almost entirely through the program and specialty end of the market rather than standard admitted lines. The appointment is part of WTW's stated push to expand its ICT practice across commercial and specialty lines in North America, a segment the company has been building out alongside its more established personal lines advisory footprint. ICT advises insurers on underwriting strategy, pricing, portfolio management, and technology transformation, work that shapes how carriers select risks and structure their books across the commercial P&C market. Based in Austin, Texas, Beaton will report to Farah Ismail, head of commercial lines, North America at WTW, and will focus on expanding the firm's underwriting and product advisory propositions for commercial carrier clients. "His proven track record, technical underwriting expertise and deep understanding of specialist risks across the property and casualty market will be invaluable to our clients," Ismail said. WTW's ICT business operates across 35 markets with more than 1,700 staff, according to the company, serving over 1,000 insurers globally.

II Reporter
Oct 12th, 2026
WTW names Darrel Beaton Director of Underwriting.

WTW names Darrel Beaton Director of Underwriting. The commercial insurance veteran joins WTW's North America Insurance Consulting and Technology business to support underwriting and product modernization. Anthony R. O'Donnell // October 12, 2026 (Image source: WTW.) WTW (London) has appointed Darrel Beaton Director of Underwriting within its Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT) business, effective Oct. 5. Beaton brings more than 30 years of experience spanning commercial underwriting, product development, portfolio management, program design and underwriting leadership. He joins WTW from Effectus Insurance, where he served as Chief Underwriting Officer with responsibility for underwriting strategy, product development, portfolio growth and profitability across commercial lines. Based in Austin, Texas, Beaton will support the expansion of WTW's underwriting and product propositions, helping insurers modernize underwriting operations, improve portfolio performance and apply technology and analytics to business decisions. He reports to Farah Ismail, Head of Commercial Lines, North America, WTW. "We are delighted to welcome Darrel to our North America team," comments Ismail. "His proven track record, technical underwriting expertise and deep understanding of specialist risks across the property and casualty market will be invaluable to our clients." WTW says Beaton's appointment will support growth of its consulting and technology services for insurers across North America.

Associated Press
Oct 1st, 2026
WTW assumes full control of Al-Futtaim Willis following UAE and Bahrain regulatory approvals

WTW has received regulatory approval from the Central Bank of the UAE and Central Bank of Bahrain to assume full ownership of Al-Futtaim Willis, its UAE-based joint venture. Al-Futtaim sold its 51% stake in the business, giving WTW complete control. The move strengthens WTW's regional presence alongside recent expansions in Saudi Arabia, where the company established insurance and reinsurance broking entities. WTW will now wholly manage operations in Dubai and Bahrain. The acquisition enables WTW to provide clients across the UAE and wider region with enhanced access to specialist expertise and global placement capabilities. The integration aligns with WTW's strategy to optimise its global portfolio and pursue scaled, high-growth broking businesses.

Yahoo Finance
Sep 30th, 2026
WTW partners with Sapien Software to deliver HR and deal intelligence for mid-market M&A

WTW has partnered with Sapien Software to deliver HR and deal intelligence solutions for mid-market companies navigating divestitures and M&A transactions. The collaboration integrates Sapien's human capital management software into WTW's Divestitures in a Box solution, providing HR management systems, payroll administration, international benefits administration and managed services. The partnership combines WTW's M&A consulting expertise with Sapien's technology platform to support both buyers and sellers. The solution aims to accelerate day one readiness, reduce reliance on Transition Services Agreements, and enhance corporate and employee experiences during transactions. Sapien's platform features AI-powered decision support and built-in managed services. The software is multi-lingual, multi-currency, and designed specifically for global mid-market companies undergoing divestitures.

GlobeNewswire
Sep 30th, 2026
WTW and Sapien Software partner to provide HR and deal intelligence for global mid-market divestitures and M&A.

WTW and Sapien Software partner to provide HR and deal intelligence for global mid-market divestitures and M&A. NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sapien Software, LLC, to provide global HR and deal intelligence software and solutions for mid-market companies involved in divestitures, mergers and acquisitions. The partnership between WTW and Sapien provides HR Management System, Human Capital Management System, payroll administration, international benefits administration and managed services as part of the WTW's Human Capital Divestitures in a Box (DIAB) solution. The DIAB solution is a one-stop, pre-packaged HR solution that's globally scalable and designed to support both buyers and sellers. It combines WTW's M&A consulting expertise in due diligence, deal planning, workforce integration and employee communication, with Sapien's market leading human capital management software solutions. Perry Papantonis, Senior Managing Director and Global M&A Leader at WTW said, "WTW's Divestitures in a Box solution enables companies to accelerate day one readiness across all HR plans, programs, and systems, reduce companies' reliance on Transition Services Agreements (TSAs), and enhance both corporate and employee experiences during transactions. Sapien's platform will help organizations to aggregate and model data to support the M&A sell-side process and buyer requests and serve as a full global Human Resources Information System HRIS following transaction close." Ryan Tweedie, Managing Partner of Sapien, said: "With people at the center of every corporate transition, our platform compliments WTW's solution to fulfill on the promise of a one-stop, pre-packaged, cost-effective solution that is globally scalable and enables both buyers and sellers to move with speed, precision and confidence." Infused with AI for easy decision support queries, and with built-in managed services that are already a part of every implementation, Sapien's technology will complement WTW's solution to help deliver a new level of speed, cost-effectiveness, and insights necessary to ensure success before, during and after divestiture or M&A activity. About WTW At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance. Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success - and provide perspective that moves you. Learn more at wtwco.com. About Sapien Software, LLC Sapien is the most progressive and innovative provider of HR software and data intelligence for the global mid-market with unparalleled expertise in divestitures. Purpose-built to be a single source of truth for divestiture planning and to evolve from data ingestion to Day One stand-alone readiness, Sapien is intuitive, rapidly customizable and proven to deliver the functionality, versatility, and affordability that mid-market globals need while guiding organizations through the divestiture process with workforce insights for decision-making. Led by industry veterans and designed to be right for now and tomorrow, Sapien is multi-lingual, multi-currency, and payroll/benefits agnostic. Our proprietary Human Resources Augmentation (HRA) and built-in AI functionality accessed via Natural Language Processing offers an unparalleled layer of support and is available globally. For more information: www.sapiensoftware.com