Willis Group Holdings has launched the Multinational Benefits unit, a specialised subdivision within Willis' Global Employee Benefits Practice.

The new unit will operate out of three multinational benefits centres of expertise in New York, Copenhagen and in Paris via Willis' partner Gras Savoye.

Heading up the new unit as Multinational Benefits global practice leader is Chris Burns who will be based in New York. Burns joins Willis from Mercer, where for the past seven years he was a principal responsible for new business development in the Northeast region of the US