The MGA market in Europe is the next frontier, Howden Re discusses market growth potential in The Insurer
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The MGA market in Europe is no longer an experiment; it’s the next frontier for growth and specialist capacity.
The Insurer spoke with Howden Re leaders about how entrepreneurial talent, evolving capital structures, and smarter use of data are propelling Europe’s MGA market towards a projected $50 billion opportunity within five years.
In the article, Elliot Richardson, Executive Chair, Howden Re, explains that MGAs have matured from a niche concept into a proven distribution model connecting capacity with targeted, data-driven portfolios of risk. He describes the European MGA market as “a $20 billion market no longer an experiment, but a proven opportunity,” one that could more than double in scale within just a few years.
Sebastian Cook, Deputy CEO, Howden Re International, notes that alignment and transparency are now at the heart of MGA–reinsurer relationships. He emphasises the shift towards long-term, specialist partnerships, where capacity is deployed with greater efficiency and discipline.
Eloise Hurley Wellington, Director at Bowood Insurance, part of Howden Re’s Global Programmes division, highlights the combination of local expertise and global data insight as a key differentiator. She explains how this model enables MGAs to deliver diversification and quality access to niche European exposures, factors that are shaping 2026 treaty strategies in Baden-Baden.
As reinsurers look for distribution models that balance data transparency, underwriting discipline, and capital efficiency, Europe’s MGA sector continues to evolve in both scale and sophistication, becoming an essential part of the continent’s reinsurance ecosystem.