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Gallagher Broker William Willer Recognized as a 2019 Aviation Power Broker

Topics: Aviation

William Willer
Executive Advisor
Gallagher, Las Vegas

William Willer, Executive Advisor, Gallagher

John Woolley is the executive vice president of Swift Air, which bought the legendary name of Eastern Airlines and is resurrecting the storied brand. The legacy of both the original Eastern and of Swift Air is complicated, including some recourse to court protection.

“Bill was the broker for Swift when it emerged from Chapter 11,” said Woolley. “We were being held hostage to pay previous underwriters and broker to stay out of Chapter 7.”

He explained that Willer was able to save several million dollars on the current placement, freeing tight capital to pay off obligations. “It is all completely non-standard, but Bill got it done. I never thought it was possible. He knew the rates were way too high. We have a new ownership and new management. Bill is part of a great story.”

Another client grew from three aircraft in 2014 to 30 by the first quarter of 2019, said the company’s CEO.

“In 2018 alone, we increased our fleet by 11 aircraft, almost doubling in size. During this process, we had a major incident with one plane in Europe with in excess of $3 million of damages.

“During all of this, Bill accommodated our expansion and handled the aircraft claim without causing any disruption or major issues with our insurance. Across the whole organization we now have a revised system of measurement for 2018 and that was 100 percent driven by Bill.”

All 2019 Power Broker Winners

2019 Aviation Power Broker Winners and Finalists


What is a Power Broker?

A Risk & Insurance Power Broker® is an individual who stands out among their peers for the exceptional client work they delivered over the past year. While brokers play many key roles in the insurance industry and risk profession, a Power Broker® award recognizes problem solving, customer service and industry knowledge.

Our goal is to broadly recognize and promote outstanding risk management and customer service among the brokerage community.

Who selects the winners?

Power Brokers are selected by Risk Managers based on the strength of the testimonials they provide to a team of 15 Risk & Insurance editors and writers.

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