The UK’s fastest growing private companies: Hot 100 2015 – (85) Hyperion Insurance Group

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Name: Hyperion Insurance Group
Industry/Sector: Financial and professional services
Date founded: 1994
The boss: David Howden
Location: London
Latest turnover: £195m
Three-year compound growth rate (%): 31.39
Latest EBITDA: £31.3m

Howden founded the company in 1994 with just five employees, and has overseen its progression into an international insurance group that offers wholesale retail and reinsurance broking and underwriting.

Its companies include DUAL, the largest global underwriting agency which provides specialist insurance solutions, Howden Broking Group, which comprises a series of local retail operations, and its recent development of RKH Group. In May 2015, Hyperion and RK Harrison completed a deal to create the world’s largest independent, employee-owned insurance group. It specialises in providing bespoke solutions to businesses, insurance brokers and trade associations, as well as individuals.

Hyperion acquired 100 per cent of RKH’s share capital, with Dominic Collins appointed executive chairman at the company. Howden called the merger a “game-changing step for Hyperion’s 21st year” as it indicated the company’s progress from his own startup to the world’s “largest employee-owned insurance and reinsurance intermediary group with over 3,000 staff”.

The combination of scale, reach and specialism is an appealing one, and has set up the company well for further growth. Howden also feels the company’s “entrepreneurial culture” has stood it in good stead in attracting bright talent across the industry.
It now serves clients around the world from over 121 offices in 37 countries – encompassing Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Some 43 per cent of group revenues came from Europe, 35 per cent from the Americas, 15 per cent from Asia-Pacific and seven per cent from the Middle East and Africa.

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Next: (86) TCL Group

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