Howden Japan transforms its retail insurance market position with acquisition of majority stake in Holos
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Tokyo, Japan, 2 July 2025 – Howden today announces that it has acquired a majority stake (68.3%) in Holos Holdings Co., Ltd. (“Holos”), a leading retail insurance broker headquartered in Kyoto.
Holos is a privately-owned retail insurance broker employing over 400 people across 20 locations in Japan, creating broad geographical reach across the country, and was founded in 2001 by Kei Horii, formerly of Sony Life Insurance.
This is a major milestone in Howden’s strategy to build a scale business in Japan, where it now employs over 450 people since it was established in 2024, and strengthens the credibility, relevance and capability of Howden’s service offering in the country. 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 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.
David Howden CBE, CEO, Howden, commented: “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. 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.”
Kei Horii, CEO, Holos Holdings, commented: “For the past 25 years, Holos has grown its business with the strong support of our employees and clients. 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.”
Kentaro Tada, CEO, Howden Japan, added: “Holos and Howden share similar corporate cultures in that we value the independence of each employee and aim to deliver optimal insurance solutions that bring satisfaction to clients. I look forward to working together with the team at Holos to grow our business while continuing to earn the trust of our clients.”