UK giants acquire Wexford’s Wright Insurance Brokers

WEXFORD based Wright’s Insurance Brokers has been the subject of an ambitious takeover by one of the UK’s largest brokers. On Friday, management confirmed that the company had been acquired by Aston Lark, who are listed as one of the top five independent chartered insurance brokerages in the UK and are backed by Goldman Sachs.

Founded by Tony and Breda Wright back in 2012, the company, which has its headquarters in Cornmarket, employs a total of 150 people between Wexford and a service desk in Carlow. Staff were informed of the takeover on Thursday of last week and it was confirmed that it will be business as usual for them as they face into Christmas.

The company has seen significant growth over the years and specialises in the commercial and transport sectors nationally. Over the years, Tony and Breda have attracted the business of life-long customers and they’ve seen this deal with

Aston Lark as the next step in the company’s growth. Both Tony and Breda will take an equity investment in Aston Lark holdings and will remain on the board of Wright Insurance Brokers.

‘Having followed an acquisition model ourselves for the last few years, we believe the Aston Lark strategy is directly aligned with the goals we set out to achieve,’ Tony said, explaining the deal. ‘The continuation of a highly personalised service company within a scaled, influential group provides real benefits to our customers and staff. This, combined with the recent investment provided by Goldman Sachs and the quality and manner of the recent acquisitions, makes Aston Lark a very attractive platform to continue with the growth of the business.’

Meanwhile, the Wexford based company represents a continued expansion into the Irish market for Aston Lark, following the acquisition of Robertson Low back in January.

‘We’ve been hugely impressed by the business that Tony and Breda Wright have built,’ said Aston Lark CEO Peter Blanc. ‘Providing a personal and high-quality service to clients runs through the heart of the business, making it a perfect fit to join the growing Aston Lark family.’

‘We are keen to continue growing and acquiring like-minded brokers in Ireland where we see huge opportunities. Our increased scale will help us provide the full range of insurance and risk management solutions to companies and individuals seeking really high-quality personal service – which we believe will set us apart from the competition.’

The wholesale division of the group, Patrona Underwriting, will continue under the current ownership and management of Tony and Breda Wright and their management team and will continue as a trusted supplier of products and services to the Aston Lark group.