DDW Group

What DDW Group does

DDW Group, operating under the legal name Dorens & De Waal B.V., is a privately held, family-owned independent insurance brokerage founded in 1940 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and now led in its third generation by CEO Fabrice de Waal. The firm delivers advisory and intermediation across four core product lines — commercial insurance (all lines including trade credit, property, marine, cyber, D&O, and professional liability), employee benefits (group accident, medical, pension/life, sickness, and travel), pensions (scheme optimization and legislative compliance), and international solutions — plus a Cyber Risk sub-brand founded in 2014. DDW serves a horizontal mix of clients including multinational corporations with complex cross-border programs, independent professional services firms with primarily domestic needs, and international businesses requiring coordinated coverage across multiple jurisdictions.

The firm's go-to-market combines direct advisory from Netherlands offices with participation in five international broker networks (TRC, equa international, TechAssure, unisonSteadfast, and WING), giving it access to 1,000+ partner brokers across 140+ countries and supporting 130+ active global insurance programs. DDW runs offices in Amsterdam (headquarters), Hoog Soeren (Veluwe meeting site), and Rotterdam. Revenue is generated through insurance brokerage commissions from carriers plus advisory and consultation fees; remuneration is fixed-salary-based and explicitly decoupled from sales targets, with disclosed salary bands below €1M. Distribution is partner-driven internationally and direct/relationship-led domestically, with marketing concentrated on the corporate website, LinkedIn, and referral.

There is no disclosed revenue, no public listing, and no proprietary technology platform, API, SDK, or app. The cyber division and the February 2018 acquisition of Animus Digital IVS are the only data/technology-adjacent signals in the record, but neither is described in operational or capability terms in the available material, leaving DDW's current technical depth unclear. Multiple trade names (Dorens & De Waal B.V., Dorens & de Waal Assurantie Consultancy, De Waal & Partners, DDW Group International Broker Management, Arthur & Alexander Risk Management) operate under the parent entity, and the firm remains wholly family-controlled with no institutional shareholders or PE involvement.

Name

DDW Group

Legal name

Dorens & De Waal B.V.

Website

https://ddwgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DDW Group is a third-generation, family-owned independent insurance brokerage founded in 1940 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, advising businesses on commercial insurance, employee benefits, and pensions across 140+ countries via 1,000+ partner brokers and direct advisory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Captive Insurance Advisory & Management (FSAEADAF)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits consulting
• Pension advisory services
• International insurance solutions
• Cyber risk insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: DDW Group operates as an insurance intermediary, earning commissions from insurance providers for placing client business. The company operates under multiple trade names including Dorens & De Waal B.V., Dorens & de Waal Assurantie Consultancy, De Waal & Partners, DDW Group International Broker Management, and Arthur & Alexander Risk Management.
2. Advisory and Consultation Fees: The company provides advisory services on commercial insurance, employee benefits, and pensions, with remuneration based on fixed salaries for employees and ethical business practices that prioritize client interests over sales targets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DDW Group is an independent insurance broker and advisor that places commercial insurance coverage, designs employee benefits programs, and provides pension scheme advisory for businesses worldwide. The firm leverages a network of 1000+ partner brokers across 140+ countries to coordinate international insurance programs, with no commercial ties to insurers or banks ensuring objective advice. The company also operates a specialized Cyber Risk division founded in 2014.

Product overview

DDW Group is an independent insurance broker offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance and advisory services. The company operates across four core product lines: Commercial Insurance (advisory on all commercial insurance lines), Employee Benefits (group accident, medical, pension and life insurance), Pensions (company pension scheme optimization and advisory), and International Solutions (leveraging broker networks for global coverage). Additionally, Cyber Risk operates as a specialized division founded in 2014. These services work together to provide businesses with domestic and international insurance coverage, employee benefit programs, and pension solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Insurance Advisory and brokerage services covering all commercial insurance lines including trade credit, fidelity guarantee, property damage, marine, aviation, cyber, professional liability, and more, designed to meet the needs of any type of business, in any sector, anywhere in the world.
• Employee Benefits
• Pensions
• International Solutions
• Cyber Risk Specialized cybersecurity insurance division of DDW Group founded in 2014 by Fabrice de Waal, providing cyber risk coverage and management solutions to clients.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Trust Risk Control (TRC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrust Risk Control has operated since 1998 as an international advisor to financial service providers and operator of a global broker alliance. With a network of partners in more than 180 countries and over 27 years of experience, TRC helps companies coordinate international insurance programs and manage risks worldwide.
• equa internationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorequa international is a global partnership of independent insurance brokers and benefits consultants. Members work across borders to share expertise and assist clients worldwide in finding the right solutions. DDW Group has deep ties: Former CEO Alexander de Waal was a co-founder, and current CEO Fabrice de Waal serves as chairman.
• TechAssurecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechAssure is an elite group of insurance brokers based in North America, with each member an expert in designing insurance and risk management programs for technology-related risks. Members work with cutting-edge technology and life sciences companies, cleantech industries, and venture capital investors. DDW Group CEO Fabrice de Waal serves on the board and is an active member of the executive committee.
• unisonSteadfastmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorunisonSteadfast is one of the largest independent and medium-sized brokerage networks worldwide. The global network is controlled from Hamburg and Chicago and allows members access to cross-border insurance solutions of high quality and excellent service.
• WING InsurancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWING (Worldwide Insurance Network Group) brings together independent insurance brokers from more than 55 countries. DDW Group is a founding member, offering co-ordinated and integrated insurance and risk management solutions for international businesses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• RPS Group (a Convex Group company): Independent specialty insurance broker focused on complex commercial and professional lines including cyber, D&O, and professional indemnity — overlapping meaningfully with DDW's niche specialty advisory offerings.
• Lockton: World's largest independent insurance broker with no outside shareholders — closely mirrors DDW's positioning on independence, relationship-driven service, and multinational advisory. The most direct apples-to-apples comparable on business model, culture, and go-to-market.
• Howden Group: Independent international insurance broker group with significant European footprint and strong specialty/risk advisory positioning. Shares DDW's DNA of independence and cross-border coordination, and serves the same multinational client archetype.

Broad incumbents

• Willis Towers Watson: Global advisory, broking, and solutions firm with strong risk and benefits consulting offerings — overlapping with DDW's full-stack commercial insurance, employee benefits, and pensions service mix, at meaningful scale.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. US-headquartered insurance brokerage with growing European footprint via organic build and acquisitions. Provides relevant public-market benchmark and comparable peer on independent brokerage roll-up economics.
• Acrisure: Fast-growing global insurance brokerage roll-up using outside capital to acquire independent firms like DDW. Represents both a competitive threat and a potential exit pathway through partnership or M&A.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Large global brokerage and risk management firm with significant middle-market and specialty lines presence. Overlaps with DDW across commercial lines including cyber, D&O, and professional liability.
• Marsh & McLennan: Largest global insurance broker (parent of Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, Oliver Wyman). Competes head-on with DDW for multinational insurance program mandates but competes as a broad incumbent with carrier-owned and consulting adjacencies.
• Aon: Global risk, reinsurance, and human capital advisory firm with one of the two largest commercial insurance brokerage platforms. Direct competitor for large multinational client placements, but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Regional players

• Vanbreda Risk & Benefits: Largest Belgian insurance broker and risk & benefits consultant serving Benelux-headquartered clients. Closest geographic peer to DDW; competes for Dutch and Belgian corporate accounts but is rooted in Belgium rather than the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorens&dewaalgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about DDW Group