LONDON, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc, the global partner of Manchester United and the leading provider of global risk management and human resources solutions (NYSE: AON), today congratulated Louis van Gaal on being named the new manager of Manchester United.

"It is an incredible honor when someone is selected as the manager of Manchester United," said Phil Clement, Aon's global chief marketing and communications officer. "It is the world's team in the world's game, and a brand that inspires people in every corner of the world."

"Attracting top external talent and developing a deep internal bench are both skills that are critical to an organization's long-term success, and these issues are particularly acute for high performance organizations like Manchester United," said Pete Sanborn, co-president, performance, reward and talent, Aon Hewitt.  "Leadership development and succession planning are key strengths found among the world's leading organizations as recognized in Aon Hewitt's Top Companies for Leaders study and with talented individuals like Ryan Giggs, United has proven its commitment to developing leaders."

The announcement of van Gaal as the new manager of Manchester United reflects the club's ability to recruit new talent. "Implementing a cohesive talent review process which constantly strives to identify and develop leadership potential throughout the organization creates a welcome sense of security for any organization," added Sanborn. "Manchester United is to be commended for its business-like approach in filling important roles with a manager of van Gaal's stature and high performance."

Aon also applauded the announcement of Ryan Giggs as Assistant Manager. "Ryan is an icon at Manchester United," said Clement. "His recognition of the need to develop young talent as demonstrated by his insertion of James Wilson and Tom Lawrence into the starting eleven against Hull will continue to serve Manchester United well."

In addition to attracting new talent, Aon has identified a five-step approach to positioning new leaders for success. Click here to view.

Aon has been the principal partner of Manchester United since July 2010 and was the global shirt sponsor for the club from 2010 to 2014. The next phase of Aon's partnership focuses on creating greater understanding of what Aon does for clients on key issues, including: talent, health, risk, retirement, data & analytics, and capital. 

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 66,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world's best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon's global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.

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