MEET Kingsley Wang
Project Manager
Team Global Health and Group Benefits Implementation team
Segment Human Capital and Benefits
Location Shenzhen, China
Year hired 2017
University The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Science
Personal interests
Badminton, running, Chinese chess and the NBA.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
I am currently working as an implementation project manager applying Willis Towers Watson’s benefit technology solutions to customers in the Asia Pacific region. I am working in a very broad area and closely manage the end-to-end project life cycle including interpreting initial client requirements, solution proposal and design, technical implementation and post-launch operation support and so on.
What training and development opportunities have you received in your role?
Willis Towers Watson places great emphasis on employee training, so there are a lot of online training resources and offline training seminars available. In addition, we learn a lot from our colleagues.
The most important thing I have learned is professional excellence. My colleagues value the quality and results of their work very much, which prompted me to continuously improve the quality of my own work.
One of the most influential training sessions I participated in was the Willis Towers Watson China’s Milestone Learning, which provided me with the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with senior executives face-to-face and helped me understand more about career development opportunities.
What is your proudest achievement since joining Willis Towers Watson?
Before I joined Willis Towers Watson, the application of our benefit technology platform in the China market was very limited. After two years of hard work, we have successfully launched a number of important clients on the platform, and our team has grown.
At the same time, Willis Towers Watson also attaches great importance to encouraging employee innovation. For example, I was fortunate to participate in the Global Horizon Innovation project where I placed in the final top 10. The Global Horizon Innovation project is an all-colleague innovation program designed to generate and test ideas aligned to our company priorities and growth opportunities. All colleagues are encouraged to submit their ideas aligned with one of the chosen themes, and those selected are given the opportunity to prototype and concept test their idea to make a case for further development. Through this project, I experienced the entire process from idea creation to proof of concept, and also had the opportunity to interact with colleagues and leaders from around the world.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
The company has a great work/life balance, a very collaborative culture and invests in the professional development and personal growth of its employees.
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
I like being a part of a working environment where peers and leaders are treated as equals. I also appreciate the ability to have flexible working hours.
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
I have had many opportunities to work with professional colleagues around the world. In this diverse environment, I’m able to learn from people with different skill sets and from different cultures. The company values teamwork, and our colleagues are very friendly and willing to cooperate. We can communicate and discuss on an equal basis — between peers and leaders.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
I strive to expand the market influence and number of clients on the Willis Towers Watson benefit platform in China. I’m also passionate about innovative technologies and business models in the industry, and I’m always looking for opportunities to work on localized innovation projects.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
Willis Towers Watson is a great place for professional development including excellent training, a collaborative environment, strong advancement potential and a diverse culture. If you are passionate about the consulting industry, this is a very good place for you.
MEET Jessica Melville
Senior Investment Consultant
Team Manager Research
Segment Investments
Location Sydney, Australia
Year hired 2008
University University of New South Wales, Bachelor of Optometry; Financial Services Institute of Australia, Master of Applied Finance and Investment
Personal interests
I’m really passionate about gender diversity and breaking down the barriers that confront women through all parts of their career journey. Having two young daughters, I am motivated to drive change by the time they join the workforce.
Can you describe your career progression within Willis Towers Watson?
I originally qualified as an optometrist, but have always loved maths. I thought the world of finance sounded exciting, so I did postgrad study in finance and three years later landed a role at Watson Wyatt, which later evolved to Willis Towers Watson.
In some ways I still perform the tasks of my initial role as an investment analyst, but in a more senior capacity. However, I also cover multi-assets, global equities and work on liquid diversifying strategies. In my time here, I have also covered bonds and listed real assets. The way I use my expertise has evolved to be more external facing in that I work directly with clients on manager selection and portfolio construction, as well as helping them build their own investment frameworks.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
My role revolves around the investment managers that we research — monitoring the existing ratings, looking for new manager ideas that we might like to rate and forming views on new developments. My role is very team-based; we form our views through extensive discussion, analysis and even more discussion! I have also started to take a more active role building relationships and working with clients, and helping with business development and marketing activities.
What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
The key challenge of being global and being based in Australia, is trying to work with different time zones. I genuinely value interacting with my global colleagues, so I make an effort to accommodate this. After my young children go to sleep, I can do a bit more work (including global calls) later in the evening. It works for me because most of my calls are with London-based colleagues, and their morning is our late evening. Plus, I think the Australian business enjoys the benefit of having us tapped into what is happening offshore.
What training and development opportunities have you received in your role?
I’ve learned the value of developing and expressing an opinion in team forums, with clients and even presenting these views in industry forums and publications. One of the best opportunities I had was to speak at our flagship client conference. I’ve always been petrified of public speaking, but I was given extensive training and guidance.
What is your proudest achievement since joining Willis Towers Watson?
I was very proud to speak at our Ideas Exchange conference on the importance of culture in the asset management industry, a topic I’m very passionate about. I’m also proud to have been able to work with some of the biggest asset owners to assess and improve how they make investment decisions. It brings together technical knowledge and experience with interpersonal skills such as the ability to advise or influence.
I love the fact that in consulting I get to marry the technical aspects of finance with the human side of consulting. I am a strong believer in mission and purpose. The finance industry has a reputation for making people wealthy, but superannuation really focuses on generating wealth and financial wellbeing in retirement for the person on the street. It has a larger purpose in society, and I feel privileged to be a part of the industry in an organization that shares that sense of purpose.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
The culture is collaborative, nurturing and one that will stop at nothing to put its best foot forward.
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
What I like best are the people; it will always be about the people. I have had the great privilege of working with some very talented individuals, who I have learned from immensely. I also appreciate the flexibility I have to work four days a week and be more involved with my children.
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
I was surprised at how easy it’s been to evolve my role and develop new skill sets; I have been supported and encouraged by some amazing mentors along the way. My team is a genuinely global team, and I was also surprised at how well we collaborate with our offshore colleagues. In many ways, Willis Towers Watson has made me reach further than I ever thought capable.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
This is the best job I’ve ever had and it continues to get better. I’ve always been open to new opportunities, and I can see my role evolving as our client base and business evolves. I’m quite lucky that everything I do today in my current role draws upon all the experience and skills I have gained here from the day I joined. I can only hope that continues.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
I would encourage them to go for it. This is a fantastic organization where you can genuinely build a rewarding and interesting career. I’m always struck by the tenure of people here, and I think that is testament to the fact that people are given the opportunity to develop and grow. This is partly because we are a global organization, but also because people here are open to taking a chance on you and giving you the opportunities you seek.
MEET Alberto Mondelli
Region Leader — Latin America
Team Global Services and Solutions
Segment Human Capital and Benefits
Location Mexico City, Mexico
Year hired 2017
University La Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela, B.S. Industrial Engineering; Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA), Certificate in Advanced Management
Personal interests
I love listening to music and going to the gym on a daily basis. I have above average dancing skills for Salsa and Merengue music.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
I am currently responsible for a team of 12 consultants spread across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay that work with multinational companies headquartered in Latin America in their cross-border operations. Our team also assists global client teams in coordinating inbound multi-country projects in Latin America including global benefit management, benefit benchmarking reviews, retirement governance, pension plans accounting consolidation, and mergers and acquisitions. My daily tasks include a combination of client project work, project sales, people management, business planning, dealing with administrative issues, and post-business results and marketing activities such as posting in social media and speaking at client events.
What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
A key challenge of my role is the need to coordinate my work with people in different geographic locations and business segments to deliver a consistent service to our clients. One notable project includes collaboration with the Corporate Risk and Broking Latin America team and the Client Management group to develop and execute an offering and sales strategy for Latin multinationals. It’s very gratifying to work cross platforms on this project, which is aimed at positioning Willis Towers Watson as the premier partner for the risk and human capital needs of these companies as they grow and cross borders.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
The culture at Willis Towers Watson is client-centered, collaborative, inclusive and people-oriented. Additionally, it is performance-driven, positive, fun and ethical. The company is very respectful of its people and clients.
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
The best aspect of my job is the talented people I get to work with every day. It’s a very collaborative culture — it’s easy to find help from colleagues when required at a global, regional or local level.
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
I was surprised by the wealth of research the company undertakes every year on so many different issues that are important to our clients. It’s a clear differentiator and creates knowledge that can be used to understand trends and best practices, and applied to our client work.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
I would like to keep working in roles that allow me to interact with clients — developing relationships and helping them solve their different issues in our areas of expertise. I’d also be interested in leading larger teams within the business and expanding the scope of what I do to other geographies outside Latin America.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
Do it! Having worked at some of the leading global consulting companies, I have found Willis Towers Watson to have the most supportive and collaborative culture. Some of the most talented professionals in the industry are working here.