Aon Creates New Practice for State and Local Government Consulting; Lurline Craig-Burke to Lead Aon Consulting's efforts with Government and Public Entities.

Business Editors

CHICAGO & ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2004

Aon (NYSE: AOC) today announced the creation of a State and Local Government (SALG) consulting practice. The SALG practice will offer employee benefits and human capital consulting solutions and services to a wide variety of public sector entities, including statewide retirement systems, universities, governing boards and agencies, specifically geared to state and local governments.

The new SALG practice was created as part of Aon Consulting's Government Human Capital Services Group, which also offers consulting services to federal government agencies.

"With new government regulations, significant budget deficits and emerging government accounting standards, public sector entities need the attention and expertise of top-notch professionals," stated Roger L. Vaughn, US president, Aon Consulting. "The thousands of state and local government entities nationwide can benefit from the technical and market knowledge contained in our SALG consulting practice."

Aon's consulting services for state and local government entities include employee benefits, HR outsourcing, actuarial valuations and certifications, 457 and other retirement plans, GASB/OPEB, Medicaid/SCHIP, compensation, process improvement and employee communications.

Lurline Craig-Burke, based in Atlanta, has been appointed to lead the newly formed practice. Ms. Craig-Burke brings a wealth of state health plan government experience in plan administration. Most recently, she served as the Chief Administrator for the State of Georgia Health Benefit Plan, where she oversaw a $2 billion budget for over 600,000 state employees, teachers and their dependents. She has also held numerous government positions in Georgia.

"Through the creation of this new practice, and Lurline's appointment, we are building on the great success we've experienced in the federal government market, as well as broadening our footprint in the state and local government market," stated Vaughn.

More information on the SALG practice is available on Aon's website at www.aon.com/gov.

About Aon

Aon Corporation (www.aon.com) is one of the world's leading providers of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human capital and management consulting, and specialty insurance underwriting. The company has more than 600 offices and 54,000 professionals in 125 countries and sovereignties. Aon's global network, broad resources, industry knowledge and technical expertise helps leaders of businesses, associations, and public entities develop effective solutions to risks, issues and challenges, creating opportunities that generate efficiencies, improve profitability and build value.

Aon is an industry leader in a number of key areas including retail, reinsurance, wholesale and specialty insurance brokerage; captive management; human capital consulting; claims and loss cost management; and premium financing.

Aon Consulting is among the top global human resources consulting firms, with 2003 revenues of $1.193 billion and 7,800 employees in 140 offices throughout the world. Aon Consulting delivers integrated consulting solutions to help clients with employee benefits, human resources outsourcing, compensation, communication and management consulting.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from either historical or anticipated results, depending on a variety of factors. Potential factors that could impact results include the general economic conditions in different countries around the world, fluctuations in global equity and fixed income markets, exchange rates, rating agency actions, pension funding, ultimate paid claims may be different from actuarial estimates and actuarial estimates may change over time, changes in commercial property and casualty markets and commercial premium rates, the competitive environment, the actual costs of resolution of contingent liabilities and other loss contingencies, the heightened level of potential errors and omissions liability arising from placements of complex policies and sophisticated reinsurance arrangements in an insurance market in which insurer reserves are under pressure, and the timing and resolution of related insurance and reinsurance issues relating to the events of September 11, 2001. Further information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's financial results, is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.