Meet Debra "Debbie" Williams
Managing Director, Europe

Debra was interviewed in our March 2007 issue of WorldSpotlight. She relocated to London with her family and has been spearheading the expansion of Aetna Global Benefits (AGB) expatriate business to multinational corporations in the European Region. She is responsible for P/L and overall business development -- including sales, retention, new market development and broker/consultant relationships -- for the combined AGB and Goodhealth businesses in the European region.

What has changed since March 2007 in the European Region for AGB?

We’ve achieved many important milestones over the past year. The first major achievement was establishing Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe Limited (AHICE) in November 2007, an Ireland-based insurance company. AHICE has given Aetna Global Benefits (AGB) the opportunity to further expand current operations and product and service offerings in the European-based expatriate market. And, we’re being recognized for the significant strength of this insurance entity with an overall “A” rating from Standard & Poor’s — a global leader in credit ratings and credit risk analysis. The rating reflects Standard & Poor's view that AHICE is strategically important to Aetna. The rating also reflects AHICE's strong capitalization, supported by its low risk profile.

How has the acquisition of Goodhealth impacted AGB’s expansion in Europe?

In October 2007, Aetna acquired Goodhealth Worldwide, a leading provider of expatriate benefits to individuals, small and medium enterprises, and multinational clients around the world.

Goodhealth is being integrated into the existing Aetna Global Benefits business, and we hope to significantly expand our current expatriate offerings. With offices in Miami, London, Dubai, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Goodhealth has been providing expatriate products and services for more than 25 years.

They have gained considerable brand recognition among both the group and individual segments worldwide, which we hope to leverage as we seek to expand our offerings in existing and new markets. Their brand strategy focuses on delivering first-class customer service, which is synergistic to our concierge-level of service approach.

Their client service approach is also consistent with ours in that they have worked to establish local, client-facing teams in the regions of the world in which their customers operate, delivering a unique and customized service proposition.

Additional flexibility in how you structure international benefit plans
This acquisition will enable us to develop innovative, global solutions such as locally-admitted expatriate products and the ability to offer multicurrency premium billing to help you meet the growing needs of your international business. We will certainly keep you informed as our businesses integrate and we roll out new and innovative solutions that are relevant to your business.

Commitment to supporting our customers where they do business
The Goodhealth acquisition underscores our commitment to the global marketplace and to supporting our customers where they do business. It will enable a local knowledge, global reach service model through regional account management and member service around the world. This approach will continue to enhance the concierge-level of service you’ve come to expect from AGB. Ultimately, the acquisition will help us to continue to bring you innovative products and services, as well as increase our ability to serve new market segments in which you operate.

Are you still based in Covent Garden, London?

Both the AGB and Goodhealth organizations recently moved into new offices at 8 Eastcheap in London -- very close to Bank and Monument Tube stations. It is so nice to be in one location with space for client presentations and for everyone to be working together.