MEET Kanika Mehta
Market Research Associate, Information Services Team (Delhi)
Team Market and Client Insights
Segment Corporate
Location Gurgaon, India
Year hired 2015
University Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University
Personal interests
In addition to reading and writing, I am a classically trained dancer and was a choreographer for the 2016 Willis Towers Watson Women’s Day flash mob in Gurgaon.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
My current role involves conducting market research on companies based on industry, country, market, competitors, lines of business, relevant business topics, etc. and presenting it in PowerPoint presentations, Word documents or customized reports. It involves extensive use of external databases to source information for consultants — this could be anything from short research requests to gathering detailed information on several companies and their parameters through prospecting analyses. I conduct important processes that are a part of our client acceptance policy and frequently work on several client newsletters and daily deliverables.
What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
I had only been with the company for 18 months when I was made the team lead for Information Services, Delhi, responsible for managing a team of seven people on an Information Services project, which not only involved my juniors, but peers and senior colleagues as well. Managing this mix of people required a great level of responsibility as well as a strong sense of judgment for handling conflicts. I learned how to respect people’s positions and arrive at the best possible outcome to ensure we efficiently deliver quality output.
What is your proudest achievement since joining Willis Towers Watson?
During the process of integrating our legacy Towers Watson team with Willis, I was involved in deciding strategy for the integrated system and participated in several calls with senior team leaders. The feedback and recognition I received from colleagues, as well as the ability to share a platform with senior management, was quite exciting and made me a more informed colleague.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
The culture here is very warm and respectful — both on the professional and personal fronts.
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
What surprised me initially was the energy within my team! The team is focused on performing their jobs as efficiently as possible and learning as they go. They are constantly developing and sharing new ideas to help each other succeed, which is energizing to be around.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
I would be interested in new opportunities involving primary research, in addition to secondary research. Also I really want to work on a research paper involving a large amount of analysis.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
Coming to Willis Towers Watson with no previous experience except for two internships, I would say it’s a great place to begin your career. I believe being patient and understanding your role are key factors for achieving professional satisfaction.
MEET Andrew Flewitt
HR Partner
Team HR Business Partners
Segment Corporate
Location Ipswich, United Kingdom
Year hired 2012 – 2015, 2016 – present
University University Campus Suffolk, PgD, Human Resources Management (level 7)
Personal interests
I love socialising, catching a concert or a show at the theatre and, recently, have taken up running to try and balance my love of food with my general health and wellbeing!
Can you describe your career progression within Willis Towers Watson?
I left Willis in 2015 and returned to Willis Towers Watson in 2016 – evidence that this is a great place to work. In December 2016, I was hired back into my role as an HR Partner supporting the Operations and Technology function. In September 2018, I moved to HR Partner, Corporate Risk and Broking (CRB), so I could get experience in supporting the CRB business from an HR perspective, as my experience prior to this had been on a corporate level. In this role, I support claims operations for Accounting and Settlement, Property & Casualty, and Transportation.
Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
My focus is to support the business and key stakeholders by providing HR support and guidance on all colleague-related matters and initiatives, which ultimately supports the delivery of our global HR strategy. This includes contributing to HR project work and initiatives, and supporting the business with employee relation issues, annual performance and compensation cycles, and talent management and succession planning.
What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
When I first joined the company, it took me a while to understand how the organisation was structured in terms of geographies, segments and functions, but my colleagues were on hand to support me with any questions that I had.
What is your proudest achievement since joining Willis Towers Watson?
Being selected to contribute to our 2018 Pride video and seeing our organisation celebrate Pride and the LGBT+ community. It really means the world to work for an organisation where everyone is valued for their contributions and is celebrated for bringing their whole self to work.
How would you describe the culture at Willis Towers Watson?
Willis Towers Watson is inclusive, diverse, client-focused and an environment where our people are celebrated and encouraged to grow.
What do you like best about working at Willis Towers Watson?
Our culture and values make Willis Towers Watson a great place to work, and this is evident in the Ipswich office. We are a great community here; this is reflected in many people holding long-tenured service. I like being able to support my stakeholders and work with them to achieve our common goals. There is always an opportunity to stretch my skills and gain experience by getting involved in varied projects. No day is ever the same, which makes coming to work exciting for me.
Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
I was surprised by how committed Willis Towers Watson is to promoting an inclusive and engaging environment for our colleagues to work in. Our people matter and are celebrated, which contributes to Willis Towers Watson being a great place to work.
What is your hope for your career in the future?
This is an organisation where growth is possible for those who want it, so it’s very exciting to know that when the time is right, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with Willis Towers Watson?
If you want to work at an organisation that values its people and supports career development and growth, this is the place for you. Our business areas are very diverse so there is real opportunity to carve out a career for the long term at Willis Towers Watson.