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Aon's Matthew Levin: The Rise of a Corporate Strategy Expert

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Matthew Levin, executive vice-president and head of corporate strategy at Aon Corp., has achieved remarkable success in his career, becoming the youngest head of corporate strategy at a publicly traded company at just 32 years old. Raised in Northbrook, Ill., Levin started his career as a First Scholar in First Chicago NBD Corp.'s training program, quickly transitioning into consulting and eventually leading development and strategic planning at IHS Group. His tenure at Hewitt Associates, where he helped engineer the company's $4.9-billion sale to Aon in 2010, laid the groundwork for his current role at Aon. Levin's deal-making prowess and commitment to liberal arts education have made him a respected figure in the business world.

Key Takeaways:

  • Matthew Levin, executive vice-president and head of corporate strategy at Aon Corp., rose to prominence at just 32 years old, making him the youngest head of corporate strategy at a publicly traded company.
  • Levin started his career as a First Scholar in First Chicago NBD Corp.'s training program and quickly shifted into consulting, eventually leading development and strategic planning at IHS Group and Hewitt Associates.
  • Levin played a key role in Hewitt Associates' $4.9-billion sale to Aon in 2010, and his expertise has enabled him to oversee strategy at Aon.
  • Levin is a strong advocate for liberal arts education, teaching modern business history courses at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.
  • His popular course at Northwestern University is designed to show students the value of studying history in business, with associate dean Mary Finn noting that his class is extremely well-attended.
  • Levin's deal-making expertise has resulted in significant growth for Aon, including the acquisition of Hunt Valley, Md.-based RealLife HR, which has grown more than five times since 2007.

Statistics:

  • Matthew Levin was 32 years old when he became the first head of corporate strategy at a publicly traded company.
  • Levin led development and strategic planning at IHS Group and Hewitt Associates before joining Aon.
  • Aon acquired Hunt Valley, Md.-based RealLife HR in 2007, which has grown more than five times and now has operating profit margins above 20%.
  • Levin engineered Hewitt Associates' $4.9-billion sale to Aon in 2010.
  • Levin is teaching a modern business history course at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.

Sources:

  • "Crain Communications Inc." - Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved.
  • "Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University"
  • "Aon Corp." - Matthew Levin's profile.

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