Howden expands presence in France with acquisition of AGEO

Global insurance brokerage group Howden has reached an agreement to acquire AGEO, an independent employee benefits broker based in Paris.

Founded in 1984 by Eric and Maryse Oziebal, AGEO specializes in employee benefits, health insurance, policy administration and claims management platform, retirement and pension services, and specialty property and casualty services.

According to Howden, the acquisition positions the French segment as the leading employee benefits broker in the insurance market in that country.

The move is expected to increase Howden’s global employee benefits workforce to more than 2,500, and will enable the company to better serve a wide range of customers, from local small and medium-sized businesses to multinational corporations.

“This latest development follows Howden France’s recent acquisitions of financial lines specialist CRF Conseils, car fleet broker Théorème, maritime specialist Seasecure, hospitality broker GTCA – CFC Consultants and OFRACAR in April 2023, reflecting Howden’s ongoing strategy to invest in local expertise and leverage the full power of its global capabilities to benefit clients in local markets,” the company added.

Nicolas Aubert, CEO of Howden France, commented: “I am delighted to welcome AGEO to Howden France, a respected company with extensive experience and an excellent reputation in the field of employee benefits.

“With our expanded capabilities, we can now expand the scope of services we offer to our clients and strengthen our market position, establishing ourselves as the leading employee benefits insurance broker in France. I look forward to working with the AGEO team to grow together and better serve our clients.”

Eric Oziebala, CEO of AGEO Group, said: “After 40 years of growth, we chose to join Howden because it shares our values ​​of people, quality and innovation. Together we will continue to innovate and grow, and our combined scale will allow us to better serve our customers.

“Maryse and I are delighted to be part of the move to Howden and then hand over to a young, strong management team who will bring a new dynamic to this wonderful project for a long time to come… the adventure is just beginning!”

Glenn Thomas, Global Head of Employee Health and Benefits at Howden, continued: “The acquisition of AGEO Group represents a significant milestone for Howden as we continue to strengthen our presence in one of the largest and most strategically important employee benefits markets in the world.

“France is home to many international companies, making it an important market for our global presence. This acquisition not only strengthens our capabilities in France, but also enhances our ability to deliver comprehensive global employee benefits to our international clients around the world.

“We are delighted to welcome the talented AGEO team to the Howden family and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to grow together.”

Luigi Sturani, CEO of Howden Europe, commented: “The acquisition of AGEO demonstrates once again the great opportunities Howden offers to companies with the right culture.

“Together we will drive growth in France and beyond, as we continue to expand across Europe. With over 4,500 colleagues and 150 offices in 23 countries, we are already the number one choice for clients in the region.”