Head of Portfolio Management

WTW•Chicago, IL

3d•$400,000 - $450,000

About The Position

The WTW Alternative Asset Insurance Solutions (AAIS) team provides a full spectrum of commercial insurance, employee benefits, and transactional services for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Engagement typically begins with diligence support in helping the fund evaluate the costs, liabilities, and exposures of potential acquisitions, and results in the appointment of WTW as insurance broker at transaction close. After close, WTW manages the portfolio company's insurance program through the fund's hold period and beyond, with the objective of keeping WTW in place with the go-forward ownership team through each sale. The Head of Portfolio Management leads the team of Portfolio Managers responsible for the stewardship of WTW's key private equity relationships. This is a senior leadership role accountable for the performance, consistency, and growth of the portfolio management function. The Head of Portfolio Management builds and develops the team, sets the service and engagement standard across all funds and portfolio companies, serves as the senior escalation point for the firm's most important PE relationships, and partners with Producers and practice leadership to convert WTW's one-stop-shop positioning into retained, expanding revenue.

Requirements

Employment-based non-immigrant visa sponsorship and/or assistance is not offered for this specific job opportunity.

Responsibilities

Build and grow the team. Recruit, hire, and onboard Portfolio Managers, forecasting capacity against deal flow and the growth of the client base so the team is resourced ahead of demand rather than behind it.
Develop talent. Coach, mentor, and develop Portfolio Managers at every level, building bench strength and a clear path from associate to senior PM. Set performance expectations, deliver regular feedback, and manage underperformance directly.
Set the standard. Own a consistent portfolio management playbook so that engagement, stewardship, and service quality are delivered the same way across every fund and portfolio company, regardless of which PM holds the relationship.
Retention and resilience. Build a team designed to withstand key-person concentration risk, ensuring relationships are institutionalized across the team rather than dependent on any single individual.
Manage to metrics. Define and track the measures that matter for the function: client retention through hold periods and ownership changes, renewal timeliness, cross-sell and account rounding, stewardship completion, and satisfaction across internal and external clients.
Represent the function. Serve as the voice of portfolio management to PE&TS and firm leadership, framing headcount, investment, and team design in margin and revenue terms.
Lead by example. Act as a strong role model for best Client Advocate practices and set the standard others on the team follow.
Oversee implementation and execution of portfolio strategy across the private equity funds and their portfolio companies, ensuring PMs act as the key liaison alongside the Producer between the fund, the portfolio companies, and WTW's service and broking teams.
Ensure service and broking teams are communicating actively with clients, setting expectations properly, and meeting renewal deadlines. Day-to-day service remains the responsibility of the client advocacy team; portfolio management oversight is for standard-setting and escalation.
Serve as the senior escalation point for the most significant relationships, large claims, and at-risk renewals, stepping in where a relationship or a placement needs leadership involvement.
Ensure continuous stewardship of key PE clients, including monitoring portfolio company renewals, large claims, integration of add-on deals, material changes in business, and annual stewardship reporting.
Ensure the team keeps funds apprised of material changes and issues throughout the year and maintains proactive diaries on open matters such as claims, potential add-ons, target deals, and changes to operations.
Take ultimate responsibility for the comprehensive delivery of WTW's service value proposition to the client and the integrity of that delivery at all times.
Ensure client engagement, contract formation, and service delivery processes are fully compliant with Group policies across all territorial, legal, and regulatory domains.
Partner with the production team to expand relationships with each fund through new business across the portfolio: placing new coverages, rounding out accounts (including employee benefits), and facilitating introductions to portfolio companies where WTW is not the current service provider.
Direct the team to keep a pulse on each fund's pipeline for pending and prospective acquisitions and divestitures, coordinating with the diligence and transaction solutions teams.
Proactively identify upcoming sale processes and bids of portfolio companies so WTW can position itself as the go-forward service provider for the new ownership team.
Bring WTW's analytics capabilities and specialty verticals to bear where they differentiate WTW on a given deal or relationship, coordinating with the analytics team to review accounts, determine client needs, and differentiate through data.
Coordinate with underwriting management and carrier partners to leverage aggregate portfolio premium and risk trends for preferred placement, resources, and the development of specialized programs.
Ensure the team manages the transition of target companies from initial engagement through M&A due diligence and transaction close, with a smooth handoff at each step.
Work with the project management team so clients receive timely reporting (proposed insurance, closing costs, and related deliverables) at each stage.
Ensure PMs remain the key contact for the insured as closing transitions to the go-forward team, and stay engaged as the relationship progresses to confirm client needs are continuously met.