Howden Broking Group

What Howden Broking Group does

Howden Broking Group is a London-headquartered, privately held international insurance brokerage founded in 1994 by David Howden. The group provides commercial and corporate insurance broking, reinsurance placement, and specialist advisory services to SME and enterprise clients across more than 20 industry verticals—including aviation, construction, education, financial institutions, marine, natural resources, private capital, real estate, sport and entertainment, transport and logistics, food and beverage, and primary-care healthcare. Coverage spans property and casualty, financial lines, cyber, environmental, health and benefits, and private client risks, with additional M&A advisory through a specialist secondaries practice.

The company's product platform is anchored by the Howden One Network, a partner-broker ecosystem covering 90+ territories that complements wholly-owned offices in 57 countries. Proprietary technology assets include the Howden Driving Data telematics platform—deployed to brokers with embedded AI to accelerate customer-app rollouts—and the Climate Insurability Framework, an advisory tool spanning risk modelling, risk management, risk sharing, and public policy levers. Distribution is sales-led, delivered through direct enterprise broker teams in each vertical and via channel partners for mid-market cross-border placements.

Revenue is generated primarily through insurance brokerage commissions on premium placement with carriers, supplemented by fee-based advisory income for complex risks. Growth has been driven almost entirely by acquisition—67 broker acquisitions were completed in the most recent reporting year—with notable deals including Aston Lark (£6bn+ GWP), Arctic Insurance (Norway), Bridges Insurance (New Zealand), Collegial Insurance Services (Sydney), Major Insurance Services (Western Australia), Alliance Insurance Brokers (Ireland), and the announced EPFS purchase from Evelyn Partners. The capital structure combines 33% employee ownership with three private equity investors (General Atlantic, CDPQ, Hg Capital), and the CEO has confirmed an eventual IPO intent while preserving the current shareholder architecture.

Name

Howden Broking Group

Legal name

Howden Group Holdings Limited

Website

https://howdengroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Howden Broking Group is a London-founded, privately held international insurance brokerage placing commercial, specialty, and reinsurance coverage for SME and corporate clients across 57 countries and 90+ territories, with a £10bn revenue target by 2030.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurtech-Enabled Brokerage (Digital Brokers & Aggregators) (FSAEADAN)

Keywords

• Insurance brokerage services
• Commercial insurance solutions
• Reinsurance brokerage
• Specialty risk broking
• Employee benefits advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Traditional insurance brokerage model generating revenue through commissions from placing insurance coverage on behalf of clients with insurance carriers
2. Specialist Advisory Services: Fee-based advisory services for specialized sectors including healthcare, food & beverage, and other industries requiring complex risk solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Howden Broking Group operates as an international insurance brokerage that places commercial, corporate, and specialty insurance coverage on behalf of SME, corporate, and institutional clients across multiple industries. The company provides reinsurance brokerage, industry-specific broking practices (Aviation, Marine, Food & Beverage, Real Estate, etc.), and operates the Howden One Network of partner brokers spanning 90+ territories to deliver multinational coverage with local expertise.

Product overview

Howden Broking Group operates as a full-service insurance brokerage platform providing commercial and corporate insurance solutions across multiple industries and product lines. The core offering centers on Business and Corporate Insurance Broking and Reinsurance services, supported by a global network called Howden One Network spanning 90+ territories. The product portfolio includes specialized insurance capabilities organized by industry (Food & Beverage, Real Estate, Transportation & Logistics, Sports & Entertainment, Natural Resources, Private Capital) and by coverage type (Cyber, Environmental, Financial Lines, Health & Benefits, Private Client, Casualty). Key product modules include General Liability, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Umbrella/Excess Liability, Product Recall, Cargo & Stock Throughput, Trade Credit, and Liquor Liability. The company also offers proprietary solutions like the Climate Insurability Framework and telematics services through Howden Driving Data, along with specialized M&A advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business and Corporate Insurance Broking
• Reinsurance Brokerage
• Howden One Network
• Food & Beverage Insurance Practice
• Commercial Casualty Insurance
• Cyber Insurance
• Environmental Insurance
• Financial Lines Insurance
• Health & Benefits Advisory
• Private Client Insurance
• Employee Benefits Consultancy (EPFS)
• Identity Fraud Margin Protection Insurance
• Medical Professional Risk Solutions (MPRS) Practice

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Evelyn PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025Acquisition of employee benefits consultancy EPFS from Evelyn Partners to expand UK employee benefits and corporate health operations. Deal expected to close in early 2026.
• Munich RecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Collaboration with Munich Re, Accredited, and Instnt to present margin protection through identity fraud insurance coverage. Product development partnership for new insurance offering.
• Ascot RacecoursecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2025Five-year official partnership extension continuing through 2030, originally established in 2021. Howden provides specialist bloodstock and equine insurance solutions to the racing industry. Both organizations celebrated the extension as a continuation of commitment to supporting British horse racing at all levels.
• Victoria Racing ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2025Naming partnership with Victoria Racing Club, establishing 'Howden Victoria Derby Day' event branding.
• GrECominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHowden One Network Partner in Albania, providing Property & Casualty insurance brokerage services through international network.
• RESPECTminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHowden One Network Partner in Czech Republic, providing insurance brokerage services in the regional market.
• Barnett WaddinghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecent acquisition strengthening UK employee benefits operations, integrated into Howden's full-service platform.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lockton Companies: Largest privately held insurance broker globally, focused on commercial and specialty insurance placement. Comparable as a founder-led, privately held, specialty-focused broker competing in similar lines and client segments.
• Hub International: Privately held North American insurance brokerage that scaled through serial acquisitions, currently owned by PE. Closely comparable business model, ownership structure, and acquisition-led growth playbook.
• Acrisure: Privately held, PE-backed insurance broker that has rapidly scaled to top-10 globally through aggressive acquisition strategy. Closely analogous to Howden in operating model, PE ownership, and roll-up DNA.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. U.S.-focused insurance brokerage (~$5B revenue) built through disciplined acquisition strategy. Highly comparable growth-by-acquisition model and customer mix across commercial and specialty lines.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Publicly listed global insurance brokerage and risk management firm (~$10B revenue) with similar diversified specialty and commercial lines focus. Closely comparable in client segments, broker-led model, and M&A growth strategy.
• Alliant Insurance Services: Privately held U.S. specialty insurance broker with strong middle-market and specialty practice focus. Comparable as a non-listed competitor pursuing organic growth plus acquisitions in commercial and specialty lines.

Broad incumbents

• Aon plc: Global professional services firm focused on risk management, insurance brokerage, and reinsurance (~$13B revenue). Competes directly with Howden across commercial insurance placement, reinsurance, and specialty lines globally.
• Marsh McLennan: Largest global insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm (~$20B revenue), operating through Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman. Direct competitor for multinational insurance placements and large enterprise risk management engagements.
• Willis Towers Watson (WTW): Global advisory, broking, and solutions firm (~$10B revenue) operating across risk, insurance, and human capital. Competes with Howden in commercial insurance broking, reinsurance, and specialty risk placement.
• Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group: Formerly independent global insurance broker, now part of Marsh McLennan following 2019 acquisition; remains a useful reference point for the specialty and international broking segments where Howden competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howden-broking-insurance
• Instagraminstagram.com/howdeninsurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A9 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howden Broking Group