The insurance broker said it will pay $50 per Hewitt share, a 41 percent premium over Hewitt’s closing price Friday of $35.40. Aon shares closed at $38.34 on Friday.
Aon, based in Chicago, plans to integrate Hewitt with its existing consulting and outsourcing operations and create a new unit, Aon Hewitt, after the deal closes. Russ Fradin, chairman and chief executive officer of Hewitt, will become chairman and CEO of Aon Hewitt.
Hewitt, based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, is a human resources consulting and outsourcing company. Aon expects the deal will save $355 million annually beginning in 2013, primarily from reducing back-office areas, management overlap and public company costs and getting more from technology platforms. It said the deal will help earnings in 2011 and 2012.
Hewitt stockholders will receive $25.61 in cash and about 0.64 percent of a share in Aon stock per Hewitt share. The total payment will be $2.45 billion in cash and 64 million shares. The deal is expected to close by mid-November.
