Howden (anteriormente Aston Lark)

Howden: commercial insurance brokerage for businesses in the UK and Ireland

Howden, formerly known as Aston Lark, is an insurance brokerage that since 1 October 2023 has operated as the Corporate and Commercial division of Howden UK & Ireland. The company serves commercial clients of all sizes, from established businesses to startups, and keeps Aston Lark's contacts, phone numbers and email addresses operational.

Sector specialisms

Howden's teams work with a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors. These include hospitality and leisure, manufacturing, construction, retail, technology, real estate, rail, motor trade, road transport, financial services and professional services, among others.

Commercial insurance solutions

The firm advises on all aspects of commercial insurance and has several specialised product lines. Its offering covers aviation, business interruption, carbon capture and storage, cargo and stock throughput, casualty, climate risk and resilience, contingency, credit and political risks, crime, cyber, directors' and officers', digital assets, crypto and blockchain, driving, fine art and specie (valuable goods), insolvency and restructuring, kidnap and ransom, litigation and legal, marine, mergers and acquisitions, medical indemnity, motor trade, natural resources, parametric solutions, product guarantee, product recall, professional indemnity, property, surety bonds and guarantees, terrorism and political violence, trade credit, and tax and contingent risks.

Employee benefits and retirement

In the area of employee benefits, Howden offers consulting, solutions for SMEs, benefits technology, business protection, employee communications and engagement, employee wellbeing, global benefits management, group healthcare benefits, group risk benefits, international private medical insurance, pensions and financial wellbeing, and people risk. In retirement, the firm covers defined benefit and defined contribution plans, investment, member communications and engagement, pension administration, pension management and governance, and self-invested pensions (SIPP, SSAS, FURBS).

Risk advisory and actuarial services

Howden provides risk advisory services including cyber risk and data privacy, enterprise risk management, motor risk, people risk, property risk, Celestia Risk, risk portal, board services, governance and secretariat, board evaluation, global business operations, interim recruitment and resourcing, decision analytics and pay gap. It also offers actuarial and longevity services for general and life insurers, and support with longevity and BPA transactions.

Presence and capacity

The company has an expanding network of regional offices that enables local service when required, complemented by specialist teams in specific locations, allowing it to serve businesses across the UK. It has a dedicated and experienced in-house claims team. In the UK, Howden places more than £2 billion of gross written premium into the market annually on behalf of more than a million clients, giving it premier status with many insurers.

Focus on risk management

Howden carries out a thorough analysis of its clients' risks to present the business to insurers in a way that secures competitive quotations. Its approach includes identifying, managing and reducing risk, with risk management solutions designed to help businesses operate smoothly and profitably. The firm highlights its employee ownership, which it says creates a culture of ambitious thinking and challenging convention.