Aston Lark buys UKGlobal

The business was rebranded that year after the merger process of Aston Scott and Lark began the previous summer. Its first purchase was Ingram Hawkins and Nock in March 2018.

The latest deal has come hard on the heels of Aston Lark officially becoming part of Howden less than two weeks ago.

UKGlobal arranges insurance for a broad range of commercial sectors, including via a number of specialist schemes and association partnerships, and also private clients.

The broker has a network of 10 regional offices serving national and international clients and its offering includes a healthcare division and group risk insurances and business protection insurance.

The management and team members will all remain with the business, and the UKGlobal brand will also remain for the foreseeable future, Aston Lark confirmed. No terms of the takeover were disclosed. The broker was ranked in the £50m - £75m gross written premium banding in Insurance Age’s Top 100 last year.

First class

Peter Blanc, group CEO of Aston Lark said: “I’ve known Nic [Hamblin, group executive chairman of UKGlobal], Matt [Bray, group CEO], Phil [Truman, CEO of UKGlobal Risk Solutions] and of course Philip Hodson for many years.

“They are first class insurance brokers and have a true client-first ethos. They have bult an outstanding business and we now have an opportunity to partner together to more than double the business again over the coming few years.”

Bray added: “We have enjoyed fast growth in the last five years and when Peter approached us, it became apparent that a link-up would accelerate our plans and enable us to offer even more to our clients and team.

“Finding the right cultural match has been imperative and in Aston Lark we have found an organisation that shares the same fundamental values that underpin our business and the way we care for our people, clients and insurer partners.”

Next stage

Hodson, who worked with Blanc at Oval, concluded: “I am delighted that the top team of Matthew, Nic, Phil and Stephen Proctor, our excellent CFO, are taking the next stage of the business development with Peter, whom I know well from our previous roles.

“I believe the clients and staff of UKGlobal will benefit from this tie-up in the months and years to come.”

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