Howden recruits Aon expert to boost South Wales broking 2026

Key Points

• Mathew Price has been employed as an account executive at Howden’s commercial business unit in South Wales.
• Price is coming from Aon where he had worked for six years with a variety of clients.
• In his new position, Price will provide bespoke risk solutions, support risk management and explore new business opportunities in South Wales, South West and West Midlands.
• This move reflects the continued development of Howden’s multiyear strategy in Wales, including rebranding, acquisition, and office expansion.
• Daniel Abbott, South Wales branch director for commercial at Howden, has welcomed Price to the company and emphasized the company’s success in the area.
• Price explained that he joined Howden due to its reputation, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to enabling its employees.

Wales (Wales Times) September 14, 2026 – Howden has hired an Aon veteran for its South Wales commercial team, bringing in Mathew Price as an account executive to strengthen its regional presence and expand client service capabilities. The appointment was announced by Insurance Business Mag, with reporting by Josh Recamara, who noted that Price joins from Aon after six years working with a diverse book of clients.

In his new position, Price will focus on delivering tailored risk solutions, supporting risk management initiatives and identifying new business opportunities across South Wales, the South West and the West Midlands. His responsibilities will include managing and developing client relationships, structuring insurance programmes and placing cover in the market, according to the report.

What did Mathew Price and Howden leaders say about the appointment?

As reported by Josh Recamara of Insurance Business Mag, Price said he was attracted to Howden by the opportunity to work closely with clients in the regional market, alongside a company with a strong reputation, entrepreneurial culture and commitment to empowering its people.

Dan Abbott, South Wales branch director for commercial at Howden, said the team was thrilled to welcome Price, whose focus on developing strong client relationships closely aligns with Howden’s goals. Abbott added that the broker continues to build momentum in South Wales, crediting the ongoing efforts of the wider team, according to the article.

How does this hire fit into Howden’s wider Wales strategy?

Howden’s South Wales presence traces back to Aston Lark’s 2022 rebrand under the Howden name, after which regional managing director Gary Stevens set out an explicit ambition to double the Welsh team and become the leading commercial broker in South and West Wales. The firm opened a dedicated uk/local/swansea/">Swansea office in 2024 that had already added 14 brokers within its first two months, as noted in the report.

Howden’s Welsh footprint expanded further through its 2021 acquisition of Watkin Davies, whose sales and development director, Daniel Abbott, joined Howden’s South Wales corporate team in December 2024 and now serves as Howden’s South Wales branch director for commercial, the role in which he welcomed Price.

More recently, Howden entered North Wales for the first time in October 2025 through its acquisition of Llandudno-based broker Gott & Wynne, and has since made further commercial hires in the north of the country, including appointing a locally based account executive in Wrexham earlier this year to support businesses across that region. Taken together, Price’s appointment continues a pattern of steady, sequential hiring that has built Howden’s Welsh operation from a single acquisition into a broker with commercial teams spanning both the south and north of the country.

What is the wider market context for this recruitment?

What’s notable about this appointment isn’t the individual hire itself standard broker recruitment happens continuously across the market – but the consistency of Howden’s approach to building out Wales specifically: acquiring an established local player, retaining and promoting its existing leadership, then layering in external hires from major brokers like Aon once that leadership structure is in place.

That sequencing buy first, then build has now been repeated in both South and North Wales, suggesting it’s a deliberate template for regional growth rather than an ad hoc pattern of individual appointments, according to the analysis in the article.

Background to Howden’s development in Wales

Howden’s development in Wales has followed a staged strategy combining rebranding, acquisition and organic hiring. After Aston Lark rebranded under the Howden name in 2022, leadership set a target to double the Welsh team and establish the firm as a leading commercial broker in South and West Wales. The 2024 opening of a Swansea office accelerated hiring, with 14 brokers added in the first two months.

The 2021 acquisition of Watkin Davies brought in local expertise and leadership, with Daniel Abbott later moving into a senior commercial role for South Wales. The 2025 acquisition of Gott & Wynne marked Howden’s entry into North Wales, followed by further hires in Wrexham and surrounding areas. Price’s appointment fits this established pattern of reinforcing acquired platforms with experienced hires from large national brokers.

Prediction: How could this development affect clients and the regional market?

This development is likely to affect clients and the regional market by increasing the depth of client-facing expertise available to businesses in South Wales, the South West and the West Midlands. With Price’s background at Aon and focus on tailored risk solutions, clients may see more structured insurance programmes and stronger risk management support.

For the regional market, the move signals continued consolidation of talent under national brands, which could raise service standards but also intensify competition for mid-market and SME clients. Over time, if Howden maintains its “buy first, then build” template, other brokers may respond with similar regional hiring drives or partnerships to protect their client bases.