Howden Expands Financial Sponsors Practice

The recruitment of both Emily Almond and Sebastiano Doria from competitor Marsh signals a direct challenge to established players in the financial advisory space. Almond's background as Chief Client Officer at Marsh, with a specific focus on the operational risks of portfolio companies, points to a deepening of Howden's strategic and operational advisory services. This expansion is timed as private capital markets, though holding over $2 trillion in unallocated capital, face a more complex dealmaking environment with heightened risks. Financial sponsors now require more sophisticated advisory throughout the investment lifecycle, from initial transaction due diligence to portfolio company optimization and eventual exit. Howden's Global Financial Sponsors practice will work alongside its Capital, Advisory and Placement (CAP) unit, aiming to provide coordinated services for private equity, private credit, and infrastructure investors. The goal is to support clients beyond single transactions, focusing on long-term value creation and operational improvements within their holdings. The move follows a pattern of aggressive growth for Howden, including the recent acquisition of US-based Atlantic Global Risk to build a "global transaction liability powerhouse." The firm is already the largest transaction liability insurance broker in Europe, positioning these new hires to leverage a significant existing platform.