Specialist Risk Group (SRG) is officially launching today in Australia, marking a key step in the group’s international expansion. The specialist insurance intermediary backed by Warburg Pincus, Ecclesia and Temasek, is stepping into the local market with plans to establish an “agile challenger” position targeting mid-market clients.
The business will initially operate from offices in Sydney and Melbourne, with plans to expand to further locations later in the year. In a company statement, SRG said it aims to combine its international specialist capabilities with a local team experienced in the Australian market, providing mid-market clients with tailored insurance solutions.
Australia will be fully integrated into SRG’s existing platforms in London, Singapore, and Europe, while maintaining a locally focused service model. At launch, the business will focus on entertainment, media & sport, with additional specialist areas expected to be developed in the near term.
The expansion comes amid a broader strategy of international development that has gathered pace over recent years. Between 2024 and 2025, SRG completed a strategic investment partnership with Warburg Pincus, a global growth investor, and Temasek, a Singapore‑based investment company, securing a majority shareholding and additional capital to support its global growth.
SRG has also grown through targeted acquisitions and regional expansion. In 2025, it completed the acquisition of German broker Ecclesia’s operations in the Netherlands and Belgium, adding seven businesses to its European platform and marking its entry into mainland Europe.
In Asia‑Pacific, the group established a regional hub in Singapore in 2024, aimed at delivering specialist solutions for complex risks across the region.
Warren Downey (pictured right), group CEO of SRG, said the launch in Australia was “a natural next step in the international strategy we have been executing over recent years, following our expansion into Asia Pacific and the development of our European platform. Our ambition is to build a genuinely international specialist insurance group, focused on markets where deep expertise, strong relationships, and access to international capability really matter.”
Laurence Basell (pictured left), managing director – Australia at SRG, described the launch as an opportunity to combine “strong local relationships with the international strength of the wider SRG platform, supported by technology that makes it easier to work with us and delivers a straightforward, high-quality experience for clients and partners.”
