Cinven, the international private equity firm, and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, today announce that they have reached an agreement to acquire leading specialist insurance and (re)insurance broker, Miller, from its partners and corporate member, Willis Towers Watson (“WTW”). Financial details of the transaction are not disclosed.

Founded in 1902, Miller is a leading specialist insurance and (re)insurance broker operating in the UK, Lloyd’s and internationally. It employs more than 640 people through its offices in London, Ipswich, Brussels, Paris, Singapore and Geneva, covering the world’s major insurance hubs. Miller operates across a number of specialist areas, including marine, energy, credit and political risks, delegated authorities, professional risks, property, casualty, sports and entertainment and (re)insurance. Headquartered in London, it places c. £2 billion worth of premiums annually.

Cinven Funds’ previous investments in the European insurance sector include Guardian Financial Services in the UK, Eurovita in Italy, and Viridium in Germany. Other UK-headquartered financial services investments by the Cinven Funds include Partnership Assurance, NewDay and Premium Credit. GIC has invested in companies such as Rothesay and RAC in the UK, Mass Mutual Asia in Hong Kong, and China Pacific Insurance group in China. 

The Miller transaction represents the first investment from Cinven’s new financial services sector-focused strategy, which will be looking at similar long-term opportunities across Europe. 

Luigi Sbrozzi, Partner of Cinven, commented: 

“Cinven is delighted to be making this investment in Miller alongside GIC. Miller is a highly attractive, resilient specialist insurance business with strong long-term growth opportunities across all of its segments and a history of consistent growth through various economic cycles. We see opportunities both organically, by recruiting new specialist brokers, and through incremental M&A over time. Miller also offers a scalable platform, particularly internationally, with associated benefits for clients as the business develops and expands over the long-term. We believe that independent ownership is the right model to really accelerate the company’s growth.”

Yong Cheen Choo, Chief Investment Officer of Private Equity, GIC, said: 

“Miller is one of the top and most established wholesale brokers with highly respected franchises in areas such as marine & energy, sports & entertainment, and cargo. We are pleased to partner with Cinven and look forward to supporting Greg Collins and his team to seize future expansion opportunities for Miller. As a long-term investor, we are confident in the growth potential of the specialty insurance sector, and of Miller within it.”  

Greg Collins, CEO, Miller, added: 

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Cinven and GIC, whose knowledge and insurance investment expertise will enormously support our business as we enter this important next phase of growth. We are excited about bringing together our combined expertise to bolster our best in class client service and solutions and strengthen Miller’s position in our core activities. This includes making incremental targeted, strategic investments as we look to realise our ambition of becoming the leading independent specialist (re)insurance broking firm. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank WTW for their support over the last five years.”

The transaction is expected to complete in Q1 2021 and is subject to regulatory approval.

Cinven and GIC advisors included: Barclays (M&A); Clifford Chance (Legal); Bain (Commercial); PwC (Financial, Operations, IT); Deloitte (Tax, Structuring); Marsh (Insurance) and FTI Consulting (Communications). 

Advisors to the sellers included: Goldman Sachs International (Financial Advisor to WTW); Herbert Smith Freehills LLP and Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Legal) and Jamieson Corporate Finance LLP (Financial Advisor to Miller’s Partners).

Media contacts:

Miller

Rebecca Harborne

Tel: +44 (0)7469 154 625

Email: rebecca.harborne@miller-insurance.com

Cinven

Vanessa Maydon

Tel: +44 (0) 7802 961 902

Email: vanessa.maydon@cinven.com

Peter Folland

Tel: +44 (0)787 099 2924

Email: peter.folland@cinven.com

FTI

Paul Harris

Tel: 07971 098 045

Email: paul.harris@fticonsulting.com

GIC

Mah Lay Choon

Email: mahlaychoon@gic.com.sg

Tess Chia

Email: tesschia@gic.com.sg   

 

About Cinven

Cinven is a leading international private equity firm focused on building world-class global and European companies. Its funds invest in six key sectors: Business Services, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT). Cinven has offices in London, New York, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Guernsey, Luxembourg and Hong Kong.

Cinven takes a responsible approach towards its portfolio companies, their employees, suppliers, local communities, the environment and society.

Cinven Capital Management (V) General Partner Limited, Cinven Capital Management (VI) General Partner Limited, Cinven Capital Management (VII) General Partner Limited and Cinven Capital Management (SFF) General Partner Limited are each authorised and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, and Cinven Partners LLP, the advisor to the Cinven Funds, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

In this press release ‘Cinven’ means, depending on the context, any of or collectively, Cinven Holdings Guernsey Limited, Cinven Partnership LLP, Cinven (LuxCo1) S.A., and their respective Associates (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) and/or funds managed or advised by any of the foregoing.

For additional information on Cinven please visit: www.cinven.com and www.linkedin.com/company/cinven/.

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to manage Singapore’s foreign reserves. A disciplined long-term value investor, GIC is uniquely positioned for investments across a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and infrastructure. In private equity, GIC invests through funds and directly in companies, partnering with its fund managers and management teams to help world-class businesses achieve their objectives. GIC has investments in over 40 countries and has been investing in emerging markets for more than two decades. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC employs over 1,700 people across 10 offices in key financial cities worldwide. For more information about GIC, please visit: www.gic.com.sg.

About Miller

Miller is a leading specialist (re)insurance broking partnership for intermediaries, direct insureds and reinsureds.

Founded in 1902, Miller is headquartered in London and has more than 640 people across its UK and international operations.

Miller is a Chartered Insurance Broker, publicly committed to a customer-first approach and values that align with a professional Code of Ethics. It provides solutions relevant to our clients’ needs, maintaining knowledge through qualifications and ongoing professional development. For more information, please visit: www.miller-insurance.com.