What Howden Ireland does

Howden Insurance (Ireland) Limited, trading as Howden Ireland, is a Dublin-headquartered retail insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm operating as the Irish subsidiary of Howden Group Holdings, a multinational insurance and reinsurance broking group. The company serves SMEs, large corporates, and multinational clients through dedicated sector-specialist teams spanning aviation, construction, agriculture, financial institutions, hospitality, manufacturing, marine, motor, professional services, retail, technology, transport, and life sciences, plus several niche sub-brands (Build-Zone, Haven Knox-Johnston, Lark Music, Sanctum, Performance Film and Media Insurance, among others) targeting self-build, yacht, music, and entertainment niches.

The core product platform is organized into three lines: Business Insurance (commercial combined, cyber, D&O, professional indemnity, property, motor, marine, engineering, surety bonds, liability, and trade credit), Employee Benefits (group pensions, group protection, health and dental, key person cover, and accident/travel), and Financial Advisory (retirement, investments, tax planning). Distribution is direct, via sector-aligned specialist teams, supported by a global Howden network of 18,000 experts across 90 territories that enables cross-border program placement for multinational clients. Core technology is not disclosed.

Howden Ireland generates revenue primarily through insurance brokerage commissions on policies arranged with insurers, supplemented by fees from employee benefits consulting, financial advisory, and surety bond services. Pricing is quote-based, varies by sector and coverage, and bills on an annual cadence. The firm is employee-owned and operates as part of Howden Group Holdings, which has been actively expanding the platform through acquisitions in 2026, including Atlantic Global Risk (US transaction liability), Polygon Insurance Brokers and ARM Holdings (Channel Islands), and Opes Wealth Trust (Ireland).

Name

Howden Ireland

Legal name

Howden Insurance (Ireland) Limited

Website

https://howden.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Howden Ireland is a Dublin-based retail insurance broker and risk advisory firm serving SMEs, corporates, and multinationals across 25+ sectors, offering business insurance, employee benefits, and financial advisory. It operates as the Irish subsidiary of Howden Group Holdings, an employee-owned global broker with 18,000 experts across 90 territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits consulting
• Financial advisory services
• Surety bonds
• Risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Howden generates revenue as an insurance broker by arranging insurance coverage for clients and earning commissions from insurers. The company also provides financial advisory, employee benefits consulting, and surety bonds services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Howden Ireland is an insurance and risk advisory broker arranging commercial insurance coverage, employee benefits programs, financial advisory services, and surety bonds for SMEs, large corporates, and multinational clients. Revenue is earned primarily through commissions from insurers for placing coverage, supplemented by consulting fees for advisory and benefits work, with sector-specialized teams serving industries such as aviation, construction, financial institutions, hospitality, manufacturing, marine, technology, and transport.

Product overview

Howden Ireland is an insurance and risk advisory firm operating as a unified platform with multiple product lines. The core offerings include Business Insurance (covering SME, commercial, cyber, D&O, professional indemnity, property, motor, marine, and engineering lines), Employee Benefits (group pensions, health insurance, protection schemes, and accident/travel coverage), and Financial Advisory services. The company also operates several specialist sub-brands including Build-Zone and Self-Build Zone for construction, Haven Knox-Johnston and CRS Yachts for marine, Lark Music and Performance Film and Media Insurance for entertainment, Sanctum Health for healthcare, Principal Insurance, Protean Risk, RL Underwriting, Robertson Low, Wright Insurance Brokers, and JF Dunne Insurances. Services span sectors including aviation, construction, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, technology, retail, financial institutions, life sciences, and transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Insurance Comprehensive commercial insurance coverage for Irish SMEs and large businesses, bundling property, liability, motor, marine, cyber, professional indemnity, D&O, engineering, business interruption, and trade credit lines through sector-specialist broker teams.
• Employee Benefits Group employee benefits packages including health insurance, dental, pensions, life and income protection, personal accident and travel cover, and key person insurance, structured for Irish employers.
• Financial Advisory Financial planning and advisory services including retirement, investment, tax planning, and business advisory support, delivered to commercial and individual clients of the firm.
• Surety Bonds Construction, performance, financial guarantee, customs, and infrastructure bonds arranged for contractors, developers, and businesses operating across regulated and capital-intensive sectors.
• Personal Insurance (linked HowdenInsurance.ie) Personal lines insurance for individual consumers, provided through Howden Ireland's consumer-facing site and operated alongside the business and corporate practice.

Named customers2 records

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volleyball EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2026Howden has been reappointed as the insurance services provider for Volleyball England for another three years following a competitive procurement process. Howden has arranged cover for the organization since 2023 and will continue to protect affiliated clubs, registered members, and cover events including the Beach Pro Tour Futures Bridlington and various national competitions.
• Polygon Insurance Brokers (PIBL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Howden acquired Polygon Insurance Brokers (PIBL), a retail insurance broker based in the Channel Islands. PIBL specializes in serving the offshore financial services sector, high net worth individuals, and trust companies with offerings including professional indemnity, D&O, and cyber liability products. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.
• ARM HoldingsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Guernsey-based ARM Holdings was recently purchased by Howden as part of its strategy to strengthen its position in the Channel Islands market. This acquisition forms part of a broader expansion strategy in the region.
• Atlantic Global Risk LLC (Atlantic Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026Howden agreed to acquire Atlantic Global Risk, a US transaction liability brokerage headquartered in New York. The acquisition brings over 110 specialists and positions Howden to become one of the largest global players in the transactional risk segment. The Atlantic Group founders will take key leadership roles and become shareholders in Howden.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lockton Companies: Lockton is the world's largest privately held independent insurance broker, providing commercial insurance, risk management, and employee benefits globally. Like Howden, Lockton emphasises independence, specialisation, and partner-led culture as differentiators.
• Acrisure: Acrisure is a fast-growing, private equity-backed global insurance brokerage with extensive M&A activity. Comparable to Howden in its roll-up strategy, scale ambitions, and exposure to mid-market commercial and specialty lines.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. Brown & Brown is a US-listed insurance brokerage distributing commercial and personal lines through a decentralised model with strong sector programmes. Comparable to Howden in serving SMEs and mid-market accounts with multiple speciality practices.
• Ardonagh Group: Ardonagh is a UK-headquartered independent insurance distribution and brokerage group, acquisitive in nature with significant presence in Ireland and the UK. Competes with Howden Ireland particularly in commercial and SME insurance brokerage.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is a global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with strong sector specialisation (construction, aviation, marine, hospitality). Closely comparable to Howden in serving middle-market and large commercial clients with specialist teams across verticals.
• Hub International Limited: Hub International is a North American-focused insurance brokerage serving middle-market businesses with sector specialisation. Comparable to Howden in its emphasis on industry-specific expertise and acquisitive growth across property & casualty and employee benefits.

Broad incumbents

• Willis Towers Watson (WTW): WTW is a global advisory, broking, and solutions company offering insurance brokerage, risk management, and employee benefits to corporates worldwide. Comparable to Howden in serving multinational and large corporate clients across multiple sectors.
• Aon (Ireland): Aon is a global professional services firm with a substantial Irish insurance brokerage presence, serving large corporates and multinationals with risk, insurance, reinsurance, and employee benefits solutions. Overlaps directly with Howden's corporate and multinational client segments.
• Marsh & McLennan (Marsh Ireland): Marsh is the world's largest insurance broker and risk advisor, with a major Irish operation offering commercial insurance, risk management, and employee benefits to SMEs, corporates, and multinationals. Direct competitor to Howden Ireland across nearly every product line and sector.
• Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT, now part of Marsh): JLT was a UK-headquartered global insurance broker with deep sector expertise (aviation, marine, energy, construction) before being acquired by Marsh. Historical peer with similar specialisation profile to Howden's sector-led approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howdenireland
• Instagraminstagram.com/howden.ireland

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&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Howden Ireland