In 2000, Henry Kravis offered Joe Plumeri a job after a chance Paris meeting; the result made him Willis CEO despite limited experience in insurance and London

In 2000, Joe Plumeri was looking for his next career move after leaving Citigroup when he happened to meet Henry Kravis in Paris. According to Plumeri’s later account, the chance encounter was followed by a call from Kravis about a job running Willis.

At the time, Willis was owned by private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). Plumeri had spent 32 years with Citigroup and its predecessors before joining Willis as chairman and chief executive officer on October 15, 2000.