Howden, the global insurance and reinsurance broking group, has acquired a majority stake (68.3%) in Holos Holdings Co., Ltd. (Holos), a Kyoto-headquartered retail insurance broker.
Founded in 2001 by Kei Horii, Holos is a privately owned retail insurance broker with over 400 employees across 20 locations in Japan.
The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Howden’s strategy to scale its business in Japan. Since establishing operations in the country in 2024, Howden now employs more than 450 people. The deal enhances the credibility, relevance, and capabilities of Howden’s service offering in the Japanese market.
With this acquisition, Howden is well positioned to deliver high-quality services across both life and non-life insurance segments to a broad range of clients, from individuals to SMEs and corporates.
The deal follows a series of strategic initiatives by Howden Japan in 2024, including the launch of Howden Re Japan, a partnership with Keystone ILS Capital, and entry into the Japanese retail insurance market through the acquisition of the Foresight Group.
David Howden CBE, CEO of Howden, said, “Right from the very start we’ve known that to provide the best services to clients you must have strong local expertise on the ground. Holos has incredible know-how and like us they have a rich history in the market. And joining forces now gives us strength-in-depth across Japan, enabling us to provide individuals, SMEs, corporates, and insurers with a full suite of services from reinsurance to retail. This is a transformational move for us, and it shows that our commitment to this dynamic market is truly for the long-term.”
Kei Horii, CEO of Holos Holdings, commented, “For the past 25 years, Holos has grown its business with the strong support of our employees and clients. As the Japanese insurance industry enters a new phase, we have decided to join Howden. By combining Holos’ deep experience in the life insurance sector with Howden’s global resources and advanced expertise in the corporate general insurance field, we aim to grow into a trusted and valued insurance group, even more loved by our clients.”
Kentaro Tada, CEO of Howden Japan, added, “Holos and Howden share similar corporate cultures in that we value the independence of each employee and aim to deliver optimal insurance solutions that bring satisfaction to clients. I look forward to working together with the team at Holos to grow our business while continuing to earn the trust of our clients.”
