8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported: October 27, 2020

Aon plc

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Ireland	1-7933	98-1539969
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

Metropolitan Building, James Joyce Street

Dublin 1, Ireland D01 K0Y8

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: +353 1 266 6000

Former name or former address, if changed since last report: Not Applicable

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Ordinary Shares, $0.01 nominal value	AON	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 2.800% Senior Notes due 2021	AON21	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.000% Senior Notes due 2023	AON23	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 3.500% Senior Notes due 2024	AON24	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 3.875% Senior Notes due 2025	AON25	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026	AON26	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.250% Senior Notes due 2042	AON42	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.450% Senior Notes due 2043	AON43	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.600% Senior Notes due 2044	AON44	New York Stock Exchange
Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.750% Senior Notes due 2045	AON45	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Item 1.01. Entry Into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On October 30, 2020, Aon plc (the “Company”) and Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the previously announced Business Combination Agreement, dated March 9, 2020, to provide that, at the effective time of the transaction, there will be 12 members of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board), including one director mutually agreed by the parties. The parties have mutually agreed that Bryon Spruell will serve in that capacity.

The foregoing description of the Amendment is only a summary, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the complete text of the Amendment, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Effective October 27, 2020, the Board appointed Byron Spruell as a director of the Company. Mr. Spruell will serve until the Company’s 2021 annual general meeting of shareholders, when he is expected to be subject to re-appointment by a vote of the Company’s shareholders. The Board has appointed Mr. Spruell to the Audit and Governance/Nominating Committees of the Board.

Mr. Spruell is the President of League Operations at the National Basketball Association. Prior to joining the National Basketball Association, Mr. Spruell spent 20 years at Deloitte LLP, most recently as its Vice Chairman, Central Region Marketplace Leader and Chicago Managing Principal. He serves on several non-profit boards, including the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, among others.

Mr. Spruell will receive compensation as a non-employee director in accordance with the Company’s non-employee director compensation practices (prorated based on his start date), which are generally described in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2020 annual general meeting of shareholders, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 24, 2020.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a) - (c) Not applicable.

(d) Exhibits:

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
2.1	Amendment No. 1 to Business Combination Agreement, entered into on October 30, 2020.
99.1	Press release issued by the Company on October 30, 2020.
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

Statement Required by the Irish Takeover Rules

The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the information contained in this document. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of the Company (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure such is the case), the information contained in this document for which they respectively accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: October 30, 2020	AON PLC
	By:	/s/ Molly Johnson
		Molly Johnson
		Assistant Company Secretary

EX-2.1

Exhibit 2.1

Execution Version

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

This AMENDMENT No. 1 TO BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is dated as of October     , 2020, by and between Aon plc, an Irish public limited company (“Aon”), and Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company, an Irish public limited company (“WTW”). Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Business Combination Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, Aon plc, a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, with registered company number 07876075 (“Aon UK”), and WTW are parties to that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2020 (as may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the Business Combination Agreement was assigned by Aon UK to Aon pursuant to that certain Assignment Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2020;

WHEREAS, Section 10.1(a) of the Business Combination Agreement provides that any term of the Business Combination Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented by a written agreement signed by Aon and WTW; and

WHEREAS, Aon and WTW desire to amend the Business Combination Agreement as described herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. AMENDMENT TO BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

1.1 Clause (b) of Section 8.12 of the Business Combination Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

“(b) the Aon Board of Directors shall be comprised of twelve members (including the Aon CEO and a new director to be mutually agreed by Aon and WTW), provided that if the specific mutually agreed director becomes unable to serve or resigns prior to the Effective Time or otherwise is not part of the Aon Board at the Effective Time, the Aon Board of Directors shall be comprised of eleven members, including the Aon CEO”.

2. GENERAL

2.1    The Business Combination Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, together with any other writings referred to in the Business Combination Agreement or delivered pursuant thereto which form a part thereof, contain the entire agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and amend, restate and supersede all prior and contemporaneous arrangements or understandings with respect thereto.

2.2    Upon the effectiveness of this Amendment, on and after the date hereof, each reference in the Business Combination Agreement to “this Agreement,” “hereunder,” “hereof,” “herein” or words of like import shall mean and be a reference to the Business Combination Agreement, as amended hereby. Except as specifically amended above, the Business Combination Agreement shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect and is hereby ratified and confirmed.

2.3    The following provisions of the Business Combination Agreement shall apply to this Amendment mutatis mutandis: Section 10.4 (Notices), Section 10.8 (Counterparts), Section 10.11 (Governing Law; Jurisdiction), Section 10.13 (Assignment) and Section 10.14 (Enforcement; Remedies).

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

2

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

AON PLC
By:	/s/ Gregory C. Case
Name:	Gregory C. Case
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 1 to Business Combination Agreement]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

WILLIS TOWERS WATSON PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
By:	/s/ John J. Haley
Name:	John J. Haley
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Amendment No. 1 to Business Combination Agreement]

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

News From Aon

Aon Appoints Byron Spruell to Board of Directors

DUBLIN, October 30, 2020 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, today announced that Byron Spruell, President, League Operations at the National Basketball Association (NBA), has been appointed to its Board of Directors.

“We are pleased to welcome Byron Spruell to the Aon Board of Directors,” said Lester B. Knight, Chair of Aon’s board. “With his dynamic leadership skills, unwavering integrity and keen strategic insight, Byron will provide valuable perspective on how the firm continues to evolve to better serve clients during this era of unprecedented volatility.”

In his role with the NBA, Spruell helps shape the future of the league, overseeing critical league operations, introducing innovations through strategy and analytics, and promoting the global growth and evolution of the game in coordination with League stakeholders, USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation.

“Aon has been a leader in serving clients around the world for many years, and I consider it a privilege to join the team helping to chart its future,” Spruell said. “The most successful organizations build on their strengths, and it’s clear to me that Aon is committed to innovation and developing new answers to today’s most pressing challenges.”

Before joining the NBA in 2016, Spruell spent 20 years at Deloitte LLP, most recently as Vice Chairman, Central Region Marketplace Leader and Chicago Managing Principal. He led the firm’s client and business growth and strategic positioning across 22 states consisting of 31 offices and more than 14,000 Deloitte professionals. He serves on several non-profit boards, including the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, among others. Spruell earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame.

For a list of the members of Aon’s Board of Directors, please click here.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.

Follow Aon on Twitter and LinkedIn

Stay up to date by visiting the Aon Newsroom and hear from Aon’s expert advisors in The One Brief.

Sign up for News Alerts here

Media Contact

mediainquiries@aon.com

Toll-free (U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico): +1 833 751 8114

International: +1 312 381 3024

XML

Document and Entity Information	Oct. 27, 2020
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000315293
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Oct. 27, 2020
Entity Registrant Name	Aon plc
Entity Incorporation State Country Code	L2
Entity File Number	1-7933
Entity Tax Identification Number	98-1539969
Entity Address, Address Line One	Metropolitan Building
Entity Address, Address Line Two	James Joyce Street
Entity Address, City or Town	Dublin 1
Entity Address, Country	IE
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	D01 K0Y8
City Area Code	353 1
Local Phone Number	266 6000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre Commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre Commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Class 160 A Ordinary Shares 0.01 Nominal Value [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Class A Ordinary Shares, $0.01 nominal value
Trading Symbol	AON
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 2.800% Senior Notes due 2021
Trading Symbol	AON21
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.000% Senior Notes due 2023
Trading Symbol	AON23
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2024 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 3.500% Senior Notes due 2024
Trading Symbol	AON24
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2025 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 3.875% Senior Notes due 2025
Trading Symbol	AON25
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2026 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026
Trading Symbol	AON26
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2042 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.250% Senior Notes due 2042
Trading Symbol	AON42
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2043 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.450% Senior Notes due 2043
Trading Symbol	AON43
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2044 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.600% Senior Notes due 2044
Trading Symbol	AON44
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Senior Notes Due 2045 [Member]
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Security 12b Title	Guarantees of Aon plc’s 4.750% Senior Notes due 2045
Trading Symbol	AON45
Security Exchange Name	NYSE