Η Howden ανάμεσα στους Global Partners του Marine Insurance Greece 2025
Η Howden, ο μεγαλύτερος μεσίτης ασφαλίσεων και αντασφαλίσεων στην Ελλάδα και στην Κύπρο, είχε την τιμή να βρίσκεται ανάμεσα στους Global Partners του κορυφαίου συνεδρίου Marine Insurance Greece 2025, το οποίο πραγματοποιήθηκε στις 13 και 14 Μαΐου 2025, στο Ίδρυμα Ευγενίδου στην Αθήνα.
Η φετινή διοργάνωση συγκέντρωσε περισσότερους από 330 επαγγελματίες του κλάδου της ναυτιλιακής ασφάλισης, μεταξύ των οποίων εφοπλιστές, brokers, ασφαλιστές και εξειδικευμένοι συνεργάτες από την Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό. Κατά τη διάρκεια των εργασιών, κορυφαία στελέχη της ναυτασφαλιστικής αγοράς από την Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό τοποθετήθηκαν πάνω σε επίκαιρα ζητήματα του κλάδου, αναδεικνύοντας τις γεωπολιτικές εξελίξεις και τον αντίκτυπό τους στη ναυτιλία, τις τεχνολογικές καινοτομίες που διαμορφώνουν τις σύγχρονες πρακτικές και την ανάγκη για συνεργατικές και βιώσιμες λύσεις σε όλο το φάσμα της ασφάλισης.
Ιδιαίτερη τιμή για τη Howden αποτέλεσε η συμμετοχή της Σταυριάνας Ασπρογιαννίδου, Managing Director, Marine της Howden Hellas, η οποία είχε τον ρόλο της συντονίστριας στο εξειδικευμένο πάνελ με θέμα “Integrated Waste Management Services After a Fire on Board a Container Vessel” όπου εξετάστηκε η σημασία της υιοθέτησης βέλτιστων πρακτικών στη διαχείριση κρίσιμων περιστατικών εν πλω. Η σωστή διαχείριση αποβλήτων πάνω στο πλοίο δεν είναι απλώς μια υποχρέωση – είναι μια απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση για την προστασία του θαλάσσιου και χερσαίου περιβάλλοντος. Παράλληλα, οι πρακτικές αυτές παίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στη συμμόρφωση με τα πρότυπα ESG, που πλέον αποτελούν βασικό κριτήριο για τις ναυτιλιακές εταιρίες, επενδυτές και ρυθμιστικές αρχές. Επιπλέον, η αποδοτική διαχείριση αποβλήτων μπορεί να μειώσει σημαντικά τα κόστη – είτε μέσω της αποφυγής προστίμων, είτε μέσω της ανακύκλωσης και της βελτιστοποίησης των λειτουργιών.
Η παρουσία της Howden στο Marine Insurance Greece 2025 επιβεβαιώνει τη στρατηγική της δέσμευση για ενεργό ρόλο στη διαμόρφωση του μέλλοντος της ναυτασφάλισης, μέσα από την τεχνογνωσία και τη συνεργασία που διαθέτει με την παγκόσμια αγορά.
DUAL harnesses the collective power of its global underwriting operations under one unified brand
DUAL Group, one of the world’s largest managing general agents (MGAs) with $3.5bn GWP, has unveiled its distinctive new brand. This marks a significant milestone in DUAL’s extraordinary journey since 1998, reflecting its unique collective global reach and strength – now across 21 countries – and its special culture.
By unifying its brand, DUAL aims to enhance the experience for all of its partners and clients and simplify access to expanding capabilities across a broad range of products and services, which in turn, will reinforce DUAL’s position as a market leading MGA.
Richard Clapham, CEO, DUAL Group said: “Our ambition is to be the world’s best underwriting business, and this vibrant new brand truly reflects the innovative forward-thinking approach that makes DUAL different among MGAs. As a leading MGA and a significant player in the insurance sector we partner with more than 70 leading (re)insurers worldwide and have an exceptional distribution network of more than 11,000 brokers and agents.
“We take our relationships very seriously and aim to be a trusted partner of choice. This is why we continuously improve every aspect of our business to help our brokers, our carrier partners and our people do more. We have put this commitment into practice with our new brand, by reviewing every touchpoint to drive improvement, including launching one seamless global website to give easier access to the breadth of our products and services.”
David Howden, CEO and Founder, Howden said: “Back in 1998, we set out to build a different kind of underwriting business. One built with talented, creative underwriters who have greater authority to follow their commercial instincts. Looking at DUAL today, I couldn’t be prouder of the unique business that we have built together. Although we’re only just getting started and there is an exciting journey ahead, DUAL’s founding vision will always guide us – putting trust in our talent to grow our business and helping the people we work with do more.”
Howden announced 2024 full-year results
Strong financial performance: Adjusted Revenue grew by 23% to £3,010m (FY23: £2,442m) with organic revenue growth of 15% (FY23: 13%). Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA grew to £922.2m (FY23: £780m) with Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA Margin remaining broadly steady at 31% (FY23: 32%).
Growth across our divisions: Insurance broking organic revenue grew 14%. Reinsurance organic revenue grew 30%. In our Managing General Agent (DUAL), organic growth was 6%.
New talent contributed 30% of the organic revenue growth: with new teams driving growth across product lines, including Treaty Reinsurance, Howden Re Programs, Sport & Entertainment, Aviation, Restructuring and Resolution and Construction. We welcomed new talent in Australia, Greece, the Middle East, Singapore and Japan.
65 strategic acquisitions including asset deals. We continued to build leading position in key markets, especially in Europe where we completed 28 deals. Highlights included the acquisition of VLC, a large broker in the Netherlands, North Risk in Denmark, marking our entry to that country, and AGEO in France. Our global footprint grew to 55 countries.
Continuing support from our investors and the debt capital markets: during 2024, we undertook a number of financings including: a full refinancing and maturity extension in February; a debut High Yield Bond; two Revolving Credit Facility capacity increases; a new Delayed Draw Term Loan facility to fund investment activity and multiple downward repricings.
We welcomed 650 new employee shareholders in 2024, taking the total number to 5,300.
David Howden, Founder & CEO, commented:
“Our 30th year proved to be one to remember. We broke the £3bn revenue barrier, we delivered double-digit organic growth for the fourth consecutive year and a revenue CAGR of 40% over the same period. What’s our secret sauce? The quality of our remarkable people. Our track record of growth is founded on our ability to attract and retain the very best. Our talent drives our performance, helping us win new clients, and build a long-term, sustainable business with employee ownership as our key differentiator and now with an Enterprise Value approaching £20bn.
“I’m incredibly excited about the future. Looking ahead, we will continue to capitalise on our stellar track record, retaining our focus on strong organic growth, strategic M&A, investment in talent and operational excellence. In so doing, we will be able to grow even faster, ready to meet our ambitious plans. We’ve turned 30, and we’re only just getting started.”
Operational highlights
David Shalders joined as the Group COO as both a member of the Board and the senior management team. His appointment will help us to embed operational excellence across the Group, enabling us to scale faster.
Total headcount: currently stands at 20,000.
Corporate sponsorship partnerships amplified our brand recognition around the world and our commitment to the Sport & Entertainment and Equine sectors, including through: The British & Irish Lions rugby union team; in horse racing with the Victoria Racing Club in Australia and The Bahrain Turf Club; and, post year end, the Emirates GBR team as part of the SailGP sailing competition.
Divisional highlights and activity
Significant activity across our operating divisions as they executed against the strategy to expand our geographical footprint, strengthen and diversify our specialty proposition through M&A and attracting new talent.
Insurance
Organic growth of 14% driven by growth across Retail, Specialty, and in Europe and Asia Pacific.
We entered new markets in Denmark with the acquisition of North Risk, which completes our footprint in the Nordic region, and Luxembourg with the addition of United Brokers. The acquisition of VLC in the Netherlands enabled us to build significant scale in this key European market, and the acquisition of AGEO increased our footprint in France and its Employee Benefit expertise. We also entered Peru, a new market, with the acquisition of Contacto, and the Japanese market, with the launch of reinsurance and retail offerings.
We launched a first-of-its-kind Red Sea cargo war risk facility to protect ships and strengthen global supply chains, and Cyber Plus, a new cyber product that widens access and simplifies the purchasing process for SMEs.
We entered the captive management market through the acquisition of ARM Holdings, strengthening our capabilities for the benefit of our multinational clients.
Senior hires included Jan Tinus Larsen, CEO of Howden Norway, Kentaro Tada as CEO, Howden Japan and Takuya Aibe to lead Howden Japan’s retail business.
Reinsurance
Organic growth of 30% driven by strong performance of the Treaty business across London and North America, Howden Re Programs and binder business.
Increased footprint across the International Reinsurance segment with global hires and offices in Japan, Hamburg and Zurich, including the acquisition of specialist reinsurance broker Haakon, becoming Howden Switzerland. Appointment of David Hearn as Chairman, Global Clients Strategy.
Strong commercial, operational, and capability growth including investment in cyber, the global casualty reinsurance practice and global analytics.
Underwriting
DUAL had organic growth of 6% driven by strong New Initiative growth across Europe and Asia Pacific (primarily New Zealand) as well as North America (Surety) and the UK retail business.
DUAL Australia announced it is taking over the management of a AUD50m PI Portfolio from Allianz, while DUAL Europe announced the acquisition of Swiss Re’s Genoa-based Marine team, including the EUR150m Marine portfolio that accompanies it.
Simon McGinn joined as CEO, DUAL UK, Marilena Rodriguez Forero as CEO, DUAL Latin America and David Harries as DUAL Group Head of Underwriting.
Capital management
We continue to be well supported by the debt capital markets:
Strong financial market conditions in February 2024 in February allowed us to complete a $5bn refinancing which enabled us to raise additional debt capital, refinance our existing debt in the term loan market and diversify funding sources via an inaugural high yield bond, achieving extended maturities and reduced the weighted average cost of borrowing.
In August 2024, we completed a successful repricing of our $1,074m Term Loan B tranche maturing in 2030. We raised a new DDTL facility with a capacity of $950m which we drew down on for the first time in September 2024. Subsequent to year end, we increased the capacity on the RCF by £135m to £765m.
We also completed a successful repricing post year end in December 2024 where we repriced our existing $2,925m and €900m Term Loan B tranches, reducing margins and upsized the USD tranche by an incremental $200m.
The Group’s ratings were reaffirmed at B2 Stable (Moody) and B Stable (S&P), maintaining one of the best Moody’s and S&P’s ratings among all levered brokers.
Climate Risk & Resilience
Our Climate Risk & Resilience capability continues to build an expert, full spectrum function, embedding our offering across specialties and regions. Highlights include:
Launching a first-of-its-kind Carbon Capture and Storage leakage facility to support the growth of the global carbon market.
A world first with the placement of a Warranty & Indemnity policy for Carbon Credits.
Collaborating with Boston Consulting Group to jointly publish new research on the role of insurance in mobilising the climate transition.
Launching the Howden Resilience Laboratory, supported by Microsoft, to measure and evaluate climate risks.
Our charity, the Howden Foundation, distributed over £1m to support climate resilience initiatives in the Global South, including a pioneering financial product protecting women workers in India against extreme heat in collaboration with Climate Resilience for All.
We convened the insurance industry to launch Humanity Insured, a global not-for-profit that makes insurance accessible and affordable to the 3.6 billion people living on the climate crisis frontline.
1. Results for Howden Group Holdings Limited for the year ended 30 September 2024 (unaudited).↩
Η Ελίζα Βασιλείου Head of Sales, Bancassurance στην Howden
Η Howden ανακοινώνει με χαρά την ένταξη της Ελίζας Βασιλείου στο δυναμικό της ως Head of Sales, Bancassurance, ενισχύοντας την εξειδίκευσή της στον τομέα των τραπεζοασφαλιστικών υπηρεσιών.
Η Ελίζα Βασιλείου διαθέτει πάνω από 20 χρόνια εμπειρίας σε κορυφαίες ασφαλιστικές εταιρείες, με εξειδίκευση στους Μεσίτες, τους Πράκτορες και τους Εταιρικούς πελάτες. Έχει διατελέσει Head of Corporate Sales στην Εθνική Ασφαλιστική τα τελευταία 10 χρόνια, ενώ νωρίτερα κατείχε τη θέση της Business Development Unit Manager στην AIG. Η πολυεπίπεδη εμπειρία της στην ανάπτυξη και υλοποίηση ασφαλιστικών προγραμμάτων, σε συνδυασμό με τις ηγετικές της ικανότητες, αποτελεί εχέγγυο για την περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη της Howden στον τραπεζοασφαλιστικό τομέα και όχι μόνο.
Όπως αναφέρει η ίδια: «Το κίνητρό μου για αυτό το νέο βήμα στην επαγγελματική μου σταδιοδρομία είναι η συνεργασία με μια δυναμική και καινοτόμα ομάδα, όπως αυτή της Howden, που πρωτοπορεί στον ασφαλιστικό κλάδο. Στόχος μου είναι να ενισχύσουμε περαιτέρω τις στρατηγικές συνεργασίες μας και να προσφέρουμε καινοτόμες λύσεις στους πελάτες μας. Μαζί, θα συνεχίσουμε να δημιουργούμε αξία και να προωθούμε την ανάπτυξη τόσο στον τομέα των πωλήσεων όσο και στο Bancassurance».
Ο Κυριάκος Αποστολίδης, Business Development Howden Greece & Cyprus, δήλωσε από την πλευρά του: «Η ένταξη της Ελίζας Βασιλείου στην ομάδα μας αποτελεί ισχυρή απόδειξη της δέσμευσής μας να προσελκύουμε κορυφαία στελέχη που συνδυάζουν εμπειρία και καινοτόμο πνεύμα, ενισχύοντας τη στρατηγική μας ανάπτυξη. Είμαστε πεπεισμένοι ότι η εξειδίκευση και η βαθιά γνώση της θα συμβάλουν ουσιαστικά στην επίτευξη των στρατηγικών μας στόχων, παρέχοντας εξαιρετικές λύσεις που θα ανταποκρίνονται πλήρως στις διαρκώς αυξανόμενες ανάγκες των πελατών μας».
Howden announces its entry into the Japanese market with launch of Howden Re
Howden announced its entry into the Japanese market, launching Howden Re Japan Ltd (‘Howden Re Japan’) and an ILS partnership with Keystone ILS Capital (‘Keystone’).
Howden also announceds the appointment of Kentaro Tada as CEO, Howden Japan. Tada will oversee the strategic growth of Howden’s operations across Japan with immediate effect. Tada has held a number of senior roles in the (re)insurance industry, including President and CEO, Rakuten General Insurance Company, President, Guy Carpenter Japan and President and CEO, SBI SSI Holdings.
Howden Re Japan will provide reinsurance brokerage services to life and non-life companies in addition to strategic advice leveraging data, analytics and capital markets expertise for the Japanese market.
To enhance its reinsurance services in Japan, Howden has invested in Keystone, a Japanese insurance-linked securities (ILS) structuring and capital markets advisory firm. In recent years, demand for ILS services has grown significantly in the region in light of increased natural disasters and associated economic losses, as well as the strategic need to diversify sources of capital, and the industry’s continued pursuit of innovation in (re)insurance solutions. Underinsurance of seismic risk makes up the majority of Japan’s natural catastrophe protection gap, which ranks as the world’s second-highest at $30 billion in premium equivalent terms.
Kentaro Tada, CEO, Howden Japan, commented: “This is the first step on a journey to establish Howden’s long-term presence in Japan. As a company, Howden is dedicated to improving disaster resilience and corporate sustainability, and Japan, as a country that faces significant risks from large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, can benefit greatly from the specialist global expertise we bring. Japan’s risk environment is becoming ever more complex to navigate, with cyber attacks and geopolitical tensions also of concern to both domestic and multinational companies with operations in the country.
Shinji Yamamoto, CEO, Keystone ILS Capital said: “The substantial economic losses expected from large-scale natural disasters in Japan present a critical social issue for the country. Keystone ILS Capital is focused on facilitating international diversification of these risks through insurance-linked securities transactions. Our partnership with Howden allows Keystone ILS Capital to offer comprehensive services tailored to various needs within Japan, which we see as a pivotal step forward in addressing these pressing issues.”
David Howden, CEO, Howden said: “It is hugely exciting moment for us as we enter the Japanese market, bringing a fresh, dynamic and entrepreneurial mindset underpinned by an employee ownership model that means we’re driven to achieve more, collaborating across borders and specialisms to deliver for clients. This approach to client service and a commitment to long-term business relationships means we have many shared values with Japan’s corporate culture.
“With the appointment of Mr Tada, who has extensive industry experience, Howden is perfectly placed to provide innovative and imaginative risk solutions to our Japanese clients. And by bringing new choice to one of the world’s largest and most advanced economies, I’m looking forward to a new chapter for the Japanese insurance market.”
Ο Γιάννης Μωραΐτης και ο Βασίλης Αντύπας στη Howden Agents
Η Howden, επιχειρηματικός μεσίτης ασφαλειών σε Ελλάδα και Κύπρο, ανακοίνωσε την ενίσχυση της ομάδας της Howden Agents με την προσθήκη νέων στελεχών στην Τεχνική και Εμπορική Διεύθυνση.
Οι νέες προσλήψεις έμπειρων επαγγελματιών με υψηλή τεχνογνωσία και εξειδίκευση στους τομείς τους, θα συμβάλουν καθοριστικά στην περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη της εταιρείας και στην ενίσχυση της ηγετικής της θέσης στην αγορά, αναφέρεται στη σχετική ανακοίνωση.
Την Τεχνική Διεύθυνση της Howden Agents αναλαμβάνει ο Γιάννης Μωραΐτης, ο οποίος διαθέτει εμπειρία μεγαλύτερη των 30 ετών στον ασφαλιστικό κλάδο. Ξεκίνησε την καριέρα του το 1992 στη Nasco Karaoglan France, ενώ το 1993 μετακινήθηκε στην Εθνική Ασφαλιστική. Το 2006 ανέλαβε τη θέση του αναπληρωτή διευθυντή Αστικής Ευθύνης, Μεταφορών, Πλοίων-Πληρωμάτων καθώς και Πιστώσεων-Εγγυήσεων, ενώ το 2010 προήχθη στη θέση του διευθυντή Αστικής Ευθύνης Μεταφορών, Πλοίων -Πληρωμάτων και Πιστώσεων Εγγυήσεων. Από το 2019 κατείχε τη θέση του διευθυντή Ζημιών Πυρός, Αστικής Ευθύνης Τεχνικών Ασφαλίσεων, Μεταφορών, Πλοίων και Πληρωμάτων.
Την Εμπορική Διεύθυνση της Howden Agents αναλαμβάνει ο Βασίλης Αντύπας, ο οποίος διαθέτει πολυετή καριέρα, άνω των 20 ετών, στην ασφαλιστική αγορά. Διετέλεσε διευθυντής Εταιρικών Δικτύων σε Generali & AXA Ασφαλιστική, Επικεφαλής Εκπαίδευσης και Διοικητικών Υπαλλήλων γραφείων πωλήσεων καθώς και Επιθεωρητής Πωλήσεων.
Aram Stoop assumes role of Managing Director, DUAL Benelux
DUAL Europe announced that Aram Stoop has assumed the role of Managing Director, DUAL Benelux reporting to Olaf Jonda, CEO, DUAL Europe. Stoop takes over this role from Peter Kegel who established DUAL Benelux in 2023 and who has now left the business.
Stoop joined DUAL Europe in September 2023 as Head of Marine, based in Benelux, bringing more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles in the insurance industry, including as an internationally recognised market leading underwriter in Marine Builders Risks.
Olaf Jonda, CEO, DUAL Europe, said: “We would like to thank Peter for his contribution and commitment to DUAL, and for creating such a strong, ambitious team and a solid, sustainable business in Benelux. I am confident that Aram will build on these foundations, further strengthening our presence in the region.”
Aram Stoop, Managing Director, DUAL Benelux, added: “During our first year, DUAL Benelux has attracted a team of talented underwriters, and we now have compelling products in Marine, Cyber, M&A, Professional Indemnity, Engineering, Surety, Life Science, Fine Art and Product Recall. I look forward to expanding our presence in this region to effectively meet the needs of our brokers and their clients, making the most of emerging opportunities in this competitive market.”
Second year of global partnership between Sustainable Markets Initiative, Howden and Resilient Cities Network advances urban resilience in five new cities
The Sustainable Markets Initiative, Howden and Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities), the world’s leading city-led network on urban resilience, have launched the second cohort of the Global Risk and Resilience Fellowship, in five cities around the world.
The ambition of the Fellowship is to enable public-private collaboration by bringing together city leaders and private sector stakeholders from across industries, through the Sustainable Markets Initiative, to work on a specific urban resilience challenge. The ultimate aim is to develop solutions that can be implemented locally to effectively empower cities to build a safe, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
This year the Fellows will broadly focus on how insurance can derisk investment to reduce the cost of capital required to build adaptive infrastructure, and how innovative parametric insurance can be coupled with other tools to manage the increasingly severe climate shocks already faced by cities.
Following the implementation of Fellowship projects in the first cohort of cities (Surat, Melaka, The Hague, Glasgow and Greater Miami and Beaches) in 2022, it was clear that the model of building relationships and collaboration between private and public sector professionals unlocks shared understanding that can drive practical action toward greater city resilience.
The private sector, and more specifically the insurance market, is keenly aware of the mounting risks associated with the climate crisis. With the global urban population expected to double by 2050 cities, and their inhabitants, are at the forefront of the crisis. Through collective action, centered on targeted problem solving, the Fellowship harnesses the power of insurance and the wider private sector to deliver a more resilient future and co-create and finance solutions to the complex climate vulnerabilities faced by cities.
Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director, Resilient Cities Network, said: “Effective communication between cities and the private sector is paramount. Without a shared vision and language regarding critical urban risks, scaling solutions in our polycrisis world becomes daunting. This year, we will be tackling challenges in the five new cities, prioritising communication and collaboration as fundamental pillars of urban resilience.”
David Howden, Chief Executive Officer, Howden, and member of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Insurance Task Force, said: “We know some of the biggest climate-related challenges out there are being faced in our great cities. But, by bringing together some of the most talented people in our industry alongside city leaders, insurance experts, climate finance professionals and engineers, this Fellowship has formed the perfect template to build urban climate resilience. And following the success of last year’s group, I can’t wait to see what a difference our latest cohort is going to make right across the world. I wish them all the best of luck.”
John Neal, Lloyd’s CEO, and Chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Insurance Task Force, said: “The first cohort of the Global Risk and Resilience Fellowship was an excellent example of public-private sector collaboration. I’m pleased to see the fellowship return for its second cohort, focusing on derisking investment and helping our cities best prepare for impacts from climate shocks. Initiatives like these demonstrate the real value that comes from shared learning and joint action, encompassing the ambition of the Sustainable Markets Initiatives Insurance Task Force.”
Η Howden εξαγόρασε την Globassure
Η Howden, επιχειρηματικός μεσίτης ασφαλίσεων και αντασφαλίσεων στην Ελλάδα, στο πλαίσιο της ενίσχυσης των υπηρεσιών διεθνών ασφαλίσεων υγείας, ανακοίνωσε την εξαγορά της Globassure.
Σύμφωνα με σχετική ανακοίνωση της Howden: «Η ομάδα της Globassure διαθέτει εμπειρία και εξειδίκευση άνω των 20 ετών στα διεθνή προγράμματα υγείας και ταξιδίου, ενώ η οικογενειακή παράδοση των μετόχων της εταιρείας στην ασφαλιστική αγορά ξεπερνά τα 100 χρόνια».
Ο Δημήτρης Τσεσμετζόγλου, CEO της Howden Ελλάδας και Κύπρου, δήλωσε: «Στην Howden επενδύουμε στην αριστεία, με στόχο την παροχή υπηρεσιών υψηλού επιπέδου στους πελάτες μας. Η έλευση της Globassure θα ενισχύσει την ανταγωνιστική θέση της εταιρείας μας στον πολύσύνθετο τομέα των ασφαλίσεων υγείας από διεθνείς παρόχους».
Ο Φίλιππος Μυτιληναίος, CEO της Howden Agents, επεσήμανε: «Καλωσορίζουμε τον Φίλη Αθηναίο και την έμπειρη ομάδα της Globassure, στην Howden Agents. Με αυτή τη νέα προσθήκη, ενισχύουμε την ηγετική μας θέση στις διεθνείς ασφαλίσεις υγείας, ενώ ταυτόχρονα αναβαθμίζουμε το επίπεδο των υπηρεσιών μας».
Από την πλευρά τους, ο Φίλης Αθηναίος και η Ιφιγένεια Νικολαΐδου, επικεφαλής της Globassure, ανέφεραν: «Χαιρόμαστε που από σήμερα γινόμαστε μέρος της μεγαλύτερης εταιρείας ασφαλιστικής διαμεσολάβησης στην Ελλάδα. Μέσα από αυτή τη συνεργασία, είμαστε πεπεισμένοι ότι θα καταφέρουμε να προσφέρουμε ακόμα πιο αναβαθμισμένες υπηρεσίες στο πελατολόγιο μας και στο δίκτυο συνεργατών μας, μέσω της πρόσβασης που αποκτούμε σε μεγαλύτερες αγορές στις οποίες ήδη δραστηριοποιείται ο Όμιλος Howden με μεγάλη επιτυχία. Η ομάδα των εξειδικευμένων στελεχών της εταιρείας, σε συνδυασμό με τα στελέχη της Globassure, θα οδηγήσει στην επίτευξη του ισχυρών αποτελεσμάτων προς όφελος των ασφαλισμένων μας».
Howden acquires MiCRO to build resilience in underinsured communities
Howden, the international insurance intermediary group, announced the acquisition of MiCRO, a microinsurance specialist that designs and implements parametric insurance coverage for underserved populations in Latin America against natural catastrophes. This underlines Howden’s strategy to invest in new solutions that use insurance as a ‘force for good’, in particular in emerging insurance markets, where demand is growing due to the increase in volatile weather events.
The acquisition reflects Howden’s commitment to harness the power of insurance to empower vulnerable populations to become more resilient and adapt to the imminent peril posed by climate change. This acquisition will enable MiCRO to expand the range and reach of its parametric solutions through Howden’s international presence, deep access to global markets, and data and analytics capability.
MiCRO was founded by Mercy Corps and Fonkoze in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake and has since grown to operate in four countries – Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia and Mexico. Based on a parametric insurance model, its solutions cover financial losses affecting smallholder farmers and micro enterprises. With swift payouts determined by the level of the disaster’s severity rather than a traditional loss adjustment, it helps clients quickly recover from additional costs and burdens of natural catastrophes. MiCRO had over 180,000 active policyholders at the end of 2023, a significant proportion of which are women, and smallholder farmers.
MiCRO will continue to explore collaboration opportunities with Mercy Corps, who have exited as part of the deal, supporting its ambition to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities.
Carlos Boelsterli, Chief Executive Officer, MiCRO said: “MiCRO has achieved remarkable progress in recent years, and as we embark on further expansion, Howden emerged as a natural growth partner. I have been extremely impressed with their long-term commitment to the underserved and they are undoubtedly a business whose actions speak louder than words. In the face of the global challenge posed by climate change, it is essential that we empower marginalised communities with access to the correct insurance cover to cope with the volatility of tomorrow.”
Charlie Langdale, Chair, Climate Risk and Resilience, Howden, added: “At Howden, we firmly believe that the insurance market holds significant potential for fostering resilience among underinsured communities, enabling them to adapt to the future climate landscape, and microinsurance is one of the tools to achieve this. MiCRO’s proprietary data platform and exceptional expertise, both in parametric insurance but also in creating wider access to insurance will help us scale this important capability for those most at risk.”