Christa Davies

“Succeeding as a finance leader today requires much more than a command of the numbers. I am privileged to have a platform where I can contribute to driving strategy, improve operations and help shape our culture so our people can thrive.”

Christa Davies has helped position Aon plc as a world leader in guiding clients to make and execute better strategic decisions. Serving as Aon’s chief financial officer and executive vice president, global finance, Davies oversees global financial operations and plays an integral role in developing and implementing the strategy for the firm’s 50 000 colleagues serving clients in 120 countries.

Aon provides professional advice and solutions across risk, retirement and health. Underpinned by a robust portfolio of data & analytics capabilities, the firm is extracting insight enabling clients to address a wide array of evolving challenges and opportunities in today’s often volatile and fast-moving business environment.

Davies has been instrumental in establishing the foundation for Aon’s momentum with a series of strategic actions over the past decade. She has directed the firm’s largest acquisitions and divestitures, including the complex $4.8 billion sale of an outsourcing business. Today, with a market capitalization exceeding $45 billion, Aon is recognised for its operational discipline and success in advancing a transformative growth agenda.

The impact of her leadership extends beyond successful mergers and acquisitions and effective financial management. Davies also is known for her commitment to developing a new generation of leaders, strong teams and a vibrant culture throughout the organization.

After graduating in 1992 with an engineering degree from The University of Queensland, Davies initially worked in the aerospace field with internships at Auspace and Rolls-Royce Industrial Power Group. In 1993, Davies joined McKinsey & Co. as a business analyst, working across Sydney, Tokyo and Seoul. As a Fulbright Scholar, she completed her M.B.A. at Harvard Business School in 1997.

Prior to joining Aon in 2007, Davies worked for Microsoft for five years and held a series of positions with increasing responsibility, including her last role as chief financial officer of the platform and services division, Microsoft’s largest and most profitable division.

She serves on the board of Workday, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, founded by David Duffield and Aneel Bhusri. In 2010, she was recognised by Fortune’s 40 under 40, and in 2012 was nominated for CFO magazine’s Women in Finance Award.