Matrix MIRB rebrands as Howden in South African market

Howden, the international insurance broker, today announced that further to its acquisition of a majority share in the Matrix group of companies in April 2020, Matrix MIRB will rebrand as Howden, providing a solid platform for growth in the South African market.

Matrix MIRB, led by CEO Gary Ankcorn, is an insurance and reinsurance brokerage that over the past seven years has built up a successful business, managing ZAR 1 billion (£65.5m) of client premiums. This track record of strong, sustainable growth stems from its entrepreneurial mindset, dedication to expertise and independence. Becoming part of Howden not only reinforces this strong cultural fit, it will also provide access to more than 6,500 colleagues around the world, as well as the Howden One network that extends its reach in over 90 territories.

Under the new name, Howden will continue to provide bespoke treaty, facultative, structured reinsurance alongside other value-added services to its clients. Once again, Howden is building a presence in a market where it can offer clients seamless access to expertise in specialty, reinsurance and retail business and, crucially, choice as the challenger broker.

Gary Ankcorn, CEO of Howden, South Africa underlined the benefits of being part of a large international broker: “We are incredibly excited about the future possibilities that collectively we can achieve under the Howden name. Our steadfast commitment to independence gives our people the freedom to deliver the best possible solutions for our clients whilst offering unrivalled access to the foremost experts in the market. We see the potential for our shared priorities and values to shape an optimal environment for further business development and the delivery of tailor-made services and competitive premium options.”

Jose Manuel Gonzalez, CEO Howden, was equally optimistic: “We have always believed, and certainly our actions over the past eighteen months have shown, that our expansion strategy is focused on partnering with talented individuals and exciting, culturally-aligned businesses. The acquisition of Matrix has been a real example of the success of this approach – a business that truly shares our commitment to our clients, to expertise and to our people. We are confident our team in South Africa will provide a compelling platform for growth and we will back them as they pursue their ambitions for this market.”