Aon history

In 1983 revenues grew 18 percent and operating earnings jumped 47 percent.

In April 1986 Combined bought the Life Insurance Company of Virginia for $557 million.

In 1987, that company was introduced to Wall Street as Aon, a Gaelic word meaning “Oneness.”

Continuing its diversification, Aon bought the employee-benefits consulting firm Miller, Mason and Dickenson for $12 million in the summer of 1988, and in September bought the nation's ninth largest reinsurance agent, Reinsurance Agency.

In 1990 Stone left the board of directors and the company he had founded.

In 1991, Aon acquired Hudig-Langeveldt, and the following year, Frank B. Hall.

In 1992, he bought Dutch insurance broker Hudig-Langeveldt.

In 1995, the company sold its remaining direct life insurance holdings to General Electric to focus on consulting.

Aon became the largest insurance brokerage in the world in 1996, primarily through its purchase of Alexander & Alexander Services Inc.

Aon's 1997 purchase of The Minet Group also helped pull the company into the lead.

The firm made no US buys in 1998, but doubled its employee base with purchases including Spain's largest retail insurance broker, Gil y Carvajal, and the formation of Aon Korea.

Responding to industry demands, Aon announced its new fee disclosure policy in 1999, and the company reorganised to focus on buying personal line insurance firms and to integrate its acquisitions.

Despite its troubles, in 2000 Aon bought Reliance Group's accident and health insurance business, as well as Actuarial Sciences Associates, a compensation and employee benefits consulting company.

Also that year, Endurance Specialty, a Bermuda-based underwriting operation that Aon helped to establish in November 2001 along with other investors, went public.

In 2003, the company saw revenues increase primarily because of rate hikes in the insurance industry.

In the spring of 2005, without acknowledging any wrongdoing, Aon agreed to a $190 million settlement, payable over 30 months.

In late 2007, Aon announced the divestiture of its underwriting business.

On 22 August 2008, Aon announced that it had acquired London-based Benfield Group.

On 12 July 2010, Aon announced that it had agreed to buy Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Hewitt Associates for $4.9 billion in cash and stock.

On 7 April 2011, Aon announced that it had acquired Johannesburg, South Africa-based Glenrand MIB. Financial terms were not disclosed.

On 22 October 2012, Aon announced that it agreed to buy OmniPoint, Inc, a Workday consulting firm.

On 16 June 2014, Aon announced that it agreed to buy National Flood Services, Inc., a large processor of flood insurance, from Stoneriver Group, L.P.

On 31 October 2016, Aon's Aon Risk Solutions completed acquisition of Stroz Friedberg LLC, a specialised risk management firm focusing on cybersecurity.

On 10 February 2017, Aon announced that it was selling its employee benefits outsourcing business to private equity firm The Blackstone Group for US$4.8 billion (£3.8 billion).