Howden granted licence to operate in Belgium

Howden Broking Group (Howden), a leading international independent insurance broker, announced today that it has been granted its licence to operate in the Belgian market.

As the largest international insurance broker with employee ownership at its heart, Howden combines in-depth local knowledge with the scale of a global player. Industry veteran Herman Kerremans will lead this latest opening and, with an established team, deliver best-in-class specialty solutions to clients across the Benelux region, further strengthening the Group’s presence in Europe.

Kerremans, previously chief development officer at JLT in Belgium, joined Howden earlier this year, and brings over 30 years’ experience in corporate insurance and specialty business, coupled with an unparalleled understanding of the Benelux countries.

Herman Kerremans, CEO, Howden Belgium: “As Howden seizes the opportunity to further invest in this important region, I am delighted to lead this exciting new venture. Howden has a rare culture that embraces change and understands the true value of expertise and care when it comes to client service.  As a group committed to employee ownership, it puts People First, not the shareholder; this is and always has been Howden's credo,” says Kerremans. "If you take care of the employees, they will take care of the client. This is a core belief to us at Howden and has resulted in our track record of stellar growth.”

Kerremans has ambitious plans for the new Belgian start up, continuing: “The Covid-19 crisis has ushered in a rise in rates and a hardening market that will impact insurance programmes for many companies. Furthermore, given Howden’s ambitious drive, which empowers people to offer innovative and thoughtful solutions, we are perfectly positioned to offer clients in the region access to wider group resources and a fresh alternative in a consolidating broker market.”

Louise Cable-Alexander, CEO Europe, Howden Broking Group said:

“We are thrilled to welcome someone of Herman’s calibre to the Group.  He is an outstanding specialist with renowned experience and deep industry and local market knowledge and along with his team, confirms our position as the natural home for entrepreneurial talent. Howden Belgium represents another significant investment in Europe as we continue to expand further and deeper into this important region. For clients, this exciting move demonstrates our quick anticipation of their need for choice and our commitment to delivering a specialty-led service on the ground.”