Howden, the London-based insurance intermediary group, announced it has acquired a majority stake (68.3%) in Holos Holdings Co. Ltd., a leading retail insurance broker headquartered in Kyoto, Japan.
Founded in 2001 by Kei Horii, formerly of Sony Life Insurance, Holos is a privately owned retail insurance broker employing over 400 people across 20 locations in Japan.
Howden described the acquisition as a major milestone in its strategy to build a scale business in Japan, where it now employs over 450 people since it was established in 2024.
Through this acquisition, Howden is now positioned to provide high-quality services across both life and non-life insurance segments to a wide range of clients from individuals to SMEs and corporates, the company said.
The acquisition follows a series of strategic initiatives executed by Howden Japan in 2024. These included the establishment of Howden Re Japan and a partnership with Keystone ILS Capital, and its entry into the Japanese retail insurance market with the acquisition of the Foresight Group.
“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,” commented David Howden, CEO of Howden.
“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.”
“For the past 25 years, Holos has grown its business with the strong support of our employees and clients,” according to Kei Horii, CEO, Holos Holdings. “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.”
