howden private wealth

What howden private wealth does

Howden Private Wealth is the private wealth division of Howden Group Holdings, providing specialized insurance brokerage and wealth planning services to high-net-worth individuals, ultra-high-net-worth families, and intermediary professional partners. Founded as IPG (International Planning Group) in London in 1994, the firm was acquired by Howden Group in 2018 and rebranded to Howden Private Wealth in October 2023. It operates across eight jurisdictions — Hong Kong (registered headquarters), Singapore, Zurich, Geneva, Dubai (DIFC), Charlotte (US), Bangkok, and Labuan (Malaysia) — with 101-250 employees, and serves as the preferred wealth planning partner to the world's most respected private banks, family offices, law firms, and tax professionals. As part of Howden Group — the largest independent insurance broker headquartered outside the USA and a top-10 global broker with 24,000+ employees across 121 service areas and over US$500B in gross written premiums — the firm benefits from parent-level scale and carrier access while maintaining specialized HNW focus.

The core offering comprises wealth advisory (covering wealth accumulation, protection, and intergenerational transfer), life insurance brokerage (with US$50B+ in cumulative coverage placed and US$1.5B+ in new premiums placed annually), and specialized fine art insurance (insuring HK$3.5B+ of artwork annually at Lloyd's with 400+ claims handled per year). The firm has placed over US$50B in life insurance coverage globally and handles 400+ fine art claims annually. Revenue is generated primarily through insurance brokerage commissions on life insurance policies placed with global carriers, with secondary commission streams from specialty lines such as fine art. The go-to-market is referral-driven through B2B partnerships with private banks, family offices, law firms, and tax professionals, complemented by direct advisory services from the firm's consultant team and supported by a structured Consultant Development Programme for advisor training.

The technology stack consists of standard marketing and web analytics tools (Google Analytics, FullStory, LeadForensics, Google Ads, DoubleClick) plus consent management (Iubenda) and basic performance monitoring — no proprietary insurance placement platform, AI-driven underwriting tools, or differentiated technology products are disclosed. The firm relies on relationship-based advisory as its primary value driver rather than technology-led differentiation. It is regulated across multiple jurisdictions including DIFC (DFSA), Singapore (PDPA), Switzerland (SFADP), EU (GDPR), Hong Kong (PDPO), Malaysia, Thailand, and the US, requiring substantial compliance infrastructure that creates barriers to entry for competitors.

Name

howden private wealth

Legal name

IPG Howden Asia Holdings, Ltd.

Website

https://ipghowden.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Howden Private Wealth provides life insurance brokerage and wealth planning services to high-net-worth individuals and families globally, operating through referral partnerships with private banks, family offices, law firms, and tax professionals across Asia, EMEA, and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth and Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Wealth Planning (Tax, Estate & Succession) (FSAAABAE), Trust, Fiduciary & Estate Planning Services (FSABADAG)

Keywords

• Insurance brokerage services
• Wealth planning advisory
• Life insurance solutions
• Estate planning services
• High net worth advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

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 Private Wealth generates revenue through commissions on life insurance policies placed for clients. The firm acts as an insurance broker, connecting high-net-worth individuals with insurance carriers globally.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Howden Private Wealth provides insurance brokerage and wealth planning services, arranging globally-sourced life insurance solutions for high-net-worth individuals across wealth accumulation, wealth protection, and wealth transfer. The firm acts as a preferred wealth planning partner to private banks, family offices, law firms, and tax professionals, and offers specialized fine art insurance coverage for collectors, galleries, museums, and institutions. Operations span Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Switzerland, the UAE, and the United States.

Product overview

Howden Private Wealth operates as a unified wealth planning and insurance brokerage platform under the Howden Group. The core offering comprises Howden Private Wealth's wealth advisory services and fine art insurance specialty. The company provides life insurance solutions with US$50B+ coverage placed globally, serving as the preferred wealth planning partner to private banks, family offices, law firms, and tax professionals. The product portfolio centers on wealth accumulation, protection, and intergenerational transfer planning, supported by globally-sourced insurance solutions and specialized art insurance coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Howden Private Wealth (Private Wealth advisory) Comprehensive wealth planning and insurance brokerage services for high-net-worth individuals, providing globally-sourced life insurance solutions to protect wealth and legacy across generations.
• Wealth Advisory Wealth planning advisory services covering wealth accumulation, wealth protection, and wealth transfer planning, combining global resources with deep industry expertise for private clients.
• Life Insurance Solutions Globally-sourced life insurance brokerage services helping clients protect wealth and legacy for future generations, with US$50B+ in coverage placed globally and US$1.5B+ in new premiums annually.
• Fine Art Insurance Specialized art insurance solutions for galleries, museums, collectors, auction houses, art dealers, universities, and financial institutions, offering customized coverage from millions to over HK$3.5 billion in artwork insured annually at the Lloyd's market.

Quantifiable outcome

• US$50B+ life insurance coverage placed globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Howden broking teams successfully placed highly complex insurance to enable a salvage operation to prevent a major oil spill (FSO Safer operation). Howden Group CEO David Howden personally brokered insurance for a vessel chartered by the UN to transport grain from Ukraine. These initiatives demonstrate Howden's capability in complex humanitarian insurance placements.
• Howden Group FoundationcoreOthers · 1 January 2014Established in 2014, the Howden Group Foundation is the corporate foundation of Howden Group Holdings, extending charitable work of the business and employees globally. The foundation has donated more than £5M to charitable partners across 38 countries since inception. For every successful insurance policy placed, donations are made to local charity partners across Dubai, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, and the US.
• The Peak MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHowden Private Wealth partnered with The Peak magazine to co-host roundtable discussions on wealth planning topics including alternative investments and the future of money. The collaboration positions Howden as a thought leader in the wealth management space.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lombard International Assurance: Lombard International is a leading specialty life insurance brokerage and wealth planning firm focused on HNW and UHNW clients across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. It is one of the most direct competitors to Howden Private Wealth's core life insurance placement and cross-border wealth structuring business for globally-mobile families.
• Mercer Private Client: Mercer Private Client, part of Marsh McLennan's Mercer practice, specializes in wealth planning and insurance solutions for HNW individuals and corporate executives globally. It is a direct peer in cross-border life insurance brokerage and estate planning, with overlapping client segments and intermediary distribution models.
• RL360 Insurance Link (RL360°): RL360° is a specialist international life insurance and wealth planning company serving HNW and expatriate clients primarily across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It is a direct competitor to Howden Private Wealth in cross-border life insurance placement for internationally-mobile HNW clients in the same geographic footprint.
• Sun Life International: Sun Life International provides wealth and protection solutions, including life insurance and wealth advisory, to HNW clients across Asia and other international markets. It is a direct peer in the HNW life insurance and wealth planning space, often accessed through the same private banking intermediary channels as Howden Private Wealth.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh McLennan Private Client Services: Marsh Private Client Services operates within Marsh McLennan, the world's largest insurance broker, serving HNW individuals and families with personal insurance and wealth solutions. It is a broader incumbent offering overlapping HNW capabilities as part of a much larger portfolio, including advisory and risk management services beyond Howden's specialization.
• Aon Private Risk Management: Aon's Private Risk Management practice serves HNW individuals and families with personal insurance, wealth advisory, and risk solutions globally. As one of the top global insurance brokers, Aon is a broad incumbent that competes with Howden Private Wealth in the HNW insurance placement and wealth planning space, particularly for ultra-wealthy clients.
• HSBC Life Insurance (HSBC Insurance): HSBC Life Insurance provides life insurance and wealth solutions to HNW clients within HSBC's global private banking network. It is a broader incumbent competitor that leverages captive private bank distribution, whereas Howden Private Wealth operates as an independent broker partner to the same private banks.
• Prudential plc (HKG-listed): Prudential plc is one of the largest pan-Asian life insurers and asset managers, serving HNW and mass-affluent customers with life insurance, health, and wealth products. It is a broader incumbent carrier competitor to Howden Private Wealth's brokerage model across Asian markets, often working through the same private banking and intermediary channels.

Regional players

• Jardine Insurance Brokers (formerly HSBC Insurance Brokers): Jardine Insurance Brokers is an Asia-focused insurance brokerage with deep roots serving HNW clients across Hong Kong, Singapore, and the region. It is a strong regional peer to Howden Private Wealth's Asia Pacific operations, particularly in life insurance referral business tied to private banking relationships.

Others

• Ascot Underwriting (Lloyd's Fine Art syndicates): Ascot Underwriting is a specialist Lloyd's of London syndicate manager with a strong fine art and specie insurance practice serving collectors, museums, and galleries. It is an ecosystem participant to Howden Private Wealth's Fine Art division, which places business into Lloyd's syndicates including those managed by Ascot.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howdenprivatewealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/howdeninsurance

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about howden private wealth