During a conference call with financial analysts, Greg Case, president and CEO, says Aon was able to achieve growth despite “soft pricing, excess capital and fragile economic conditions globally.”

He credits the firm's performance with its willingness to invest in long-term growth and a retention rate in both its risk and consulting businesses in excess of 90 percent.

The brokerage captured more than $240 million in business during the period, and Case notes growth in China, Africa, Australia, Italy, Denmark and U.S. retail.

Aon, as a whole, reports organic growth of 1 percent. Its risk-solutions business, which includes retail brokerage and reinsurance brokerage, records organic growth of 2 percent. Retail brokerage reports organic growth of 3 percent, while reinsurance brokerage came in at minus-2 percent.

Case says reinsurance brokerage, under Aon Benfield, is performing better than expected, despite the pressures from other major reinsurance brokerage firms.

Despite the soft market, Case says America's retail is seeing strong growth, especially in Latin America. He notes that construction continues to show weakness, but Aon will continue to invest in that area to be ready when the market improves.

Internationally, rates are flat to modestly down, but there is firming for catastrophe-exposed risks. Case also notes that the firm is experiencing growth in new business activity.

Regarding the integration of Hewitt into its consulting business, Aon spent $31 million under its restructuring program on lease consolidation and workforce reduction.

The workforce reduction is expected to eliminate a total of around 1,500 jobs.