Howden has opened a new office in Suva, Fiji, to work with local and regional clients in sectors including tourism, agriculture, renewable energy, and climate risk. The office is intended to provide on-the-ground broking and risk advisory support in Fiji while connecting local buyers to the group’s international markets and specialty lines. For intermediaries and insurers in Australia and New Zealand, it provides another option for Pacific placements, including catastrophe-exposed assets and cross-border programs involving Fijian operations.
According to the firm, the Suva office will act as a base to address risk transfer and insurance requirements in Fiji and neighbouring Pacific markets, including organisations focused on climate resilience and sustainability-related exposures. The office is expected to work with domestic businesses as well as multinational clients with regional footprints. Matt Bacon, regional CEO for Howden Pacific, said the Fiji office is intended to bring the group closer to clients in the country while linking them to global capacity and expertise. “We are thrilled to open our doors in Fiji and deepen our connections in the Pacific. This allows us to provide more tailored and immediate support to Fijian clients, leveraging our global expertise while staying attuned to the local market's unique needs. Fiji’s vibrant economy and strategic location make it a key market in the Pacific, and we are excited to work alongside businesses here to protect and enhance their growth. For Howden, this move not only strengthens our presence in the region but also reinforces our position as a global leader committed to empowering communities worldwide,” Bacon said.
For brokers and underwriters in Australia and New Zealand, the Suva office offers an additional channel for structuring regional programs, sourcing capacity for natural catastrophe and climate-related risks, and servicing clients with assets, employees, or supply chains in Fiji. Matt Weaver, head of climate risk and resilience, Howden Pacific, said the Suva operation is focused on building longer-term relationships in the market. “Howden’s entry into Fiji underscores its dedication to investing in underserved markets and fostering long-term partnerships. With a focus on delivering unparalleled client service, the new office will offer a full range of insurance and risk management solutions, supported by a team of local experts and backed by Howden’s global resources,” Weaver said.
The Fiji launch comes as Howden undertakes a series of growth initiatives in 2026. In early January, the group agreed to acquire Atlantic Global Risk LLC, a New York-based broker specialising in transaction liability insurance. Established in 2017, Atlantic Group has developed into a top-five participant in the North American transaction liability segment, offering solutions across representations and warranties, tax liability, contingent risk, and credit risk insurance. The firm has more than 110 staff and serves clients in the US, Canada, and Latin America. The transaction is intended to bring Atlantic Group into Howden’s US retail broking platform and combine it with Howden’s transaction liability operations outside the US, expanding its offer for deal-related risks. Atlantic Group’s founders are expected to take leading roles in Howden’s US retail growth and global transactional liability strategy and to become shareholders in the wider group.
Later in January, Howden launched a US cyber practice and made a series of senior appointments to work with corporate clients. The team has underwriting and broking backgrounds and is being added to Howden’s international cyber operations, taking the number of cyber-focused staff to more than 150 across five continents. The practice covers program strategy, sales, placement, product development, claims handling, and cyber risk consulting.
Then in late January 2026, Howden also announced the acquisition of Polygon Insurance Brokers Limited (PIBL), a retail broker in the Channel Islands previously known as Vantage Insurance Brokers. PIBL focuses on offshore financial services firms, high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and trust companies in Jersey and Guernsey. PIBL arranges cover for areas such as professional indemnity, financial institutions, directors and officers liability, and cyber liability. The acquisition will add to Howden’s operations in Jersey and Guernsey and its work with offshore financial and private client markets.
These steps follow Howden’s results for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024, released in February 2025. Adjusted revenue rose 23% year on year to £3,010 million, with organic revenue growth of 15%. Adjusted consolidated EBITDA reached £922.2 million, and the adjusted consolidated EBITDA margin was 31%. By division, insurance broking recorded 14% organic revenue growth, reinsurance 30%, and managing general agent operations (DUAL) 6%. New teams accounted for about 30% of organic revenue growth, with recruitment across treaty reinsurance, sports and entertainment, aviation, restructuring and resolution, construction, and other areas. New hires were made in markets including Australia, Greece, the Middle East, Singapore, and Japan.
During the 2024 financial year, Howden completed 65 strategic acquisitions and asset deals, including 28 in Europe. Transactions included the acquisition of VLC in the Netherlands, North Risk in Denmark, marking entry into that market, and AGEO in France. The group reported operations in 55 countries. The broker also undertook several capital markets transactions, including a full refinancing and maturity extension, a debut high-yield bond, increases to revolving credit facility capacity, and a delayed draw term loan to fund investment activity. Employee share ownership increased by 650 new employee shareholders in 2024, bringing the total to 5,300. For insurance professionals in Australia and New Zealand, the establishment of the Suva office – together with Howden’s activity in transaction liability, cyber, and offshore retail markets – reflects ongoing expansion in capacity and distribution channels relevant to Pacific and cross-border placements.
