Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
Role: Vice President, Business Development
Location: Los Angeles
About Howden Private Capital
Howden Private Capital (formerly Atlantic Global Risk) is the transactional risk arm of Howden, one of the world’s leading independent insurance brokers. We advise private equity sponsors, corporates, and law firms on Representations & Warranties Insurance (RWI), Tax Liability Insurance, Contingent and Structured Risk, and Credit Insurance. Our team executes the most complex M&A and capital markets transactions across North America and globally.
As we continue to expand our presence across key U.S. markets, we are seeking a Business Development leader to help accelerate growth on the West Coast. This is a high-impact role with significant opportunity to deepen relationships across the private equity, corporate, and legal communities in California and adjacent markets while helping shape our broader commercial strategy.
The VP, Business Development — West Coast will support Howden Private Capital’s commercial development efforts across the Western U.S. transactional insurance market, with a primary focus on RWI and broader exposure to Tax, Contingent, and Credit products. This is a market-facing role responsible for opening doors, building the Howden Private Capital brand, and serving as a business development partner to senior brokers across the platform.
You will help expand our relationships with private equity sponsors, strategic acquirers, investment banks, and leading M&A law firms throughout California and the broader Western U.S. market. You will drive disciplined outreach and pipeline development while partnering closely with senior brokers and deal teams to convert relationships into placed business.
Key Responsibilities
Deal Execution & Insurance Placement
• Support all Howden Private Capital business development efforts across the West Coast, with a primary focus on San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Seattle, and other key Western U.S. markets.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with private equity sponsors, venture and growth equity investors, family offices, corporate development teams, investment bankers, and the M&A legal community.
• Set high-value meetings for senior Howden Private Capital brokers and serve as an on-the ground business development presence with clear weekly and monthly activity targets.
• Develop, maintain, and report on a disciplined regional outreach strategy, including a tiered account plan and named-target list.
• Organize and host roadshows across key West Coast financial centers, including pre-meeting preparation, coordination with internal deal teams, and post-meeting follow-up to drive sustained pipeline development.
• Partner with the senior RWI broking team on pitches, meeting preparation forms (MPFs), and tailored client materials for priority accounts.
• Coordinate with Howden’s broader U.S. Property & Casualty and Specialty teams to identify cross-sell opportunities and deliver an integrated client experience across transactional, management liability, cyber, and other specialty insurance lines.
• Represent Howden Private Capital at industry conferences, private equity events, law firm programs, and M&A networking forums.
• Track activity, pipeline, and conversion metrics through Power BI and Novidea and report regularly to the Head of BD, Coverage.
• Serve as a thought partner to leadership on West Coast market dynamics, competitive positioning, and product strategy.
Qualifications
Education
• Bachelor’s degree required
• JD, Bar Admission, CFA, or other relevant transactional/M&A credentials strongly preferred 2 Experience
• 4-7 years experience in business development, sales, brokerage, investment banking, M&A legal practice, private equity, or a closely related transactional role.
• Strong network within the West Coast private equity, venture capital, corporate M&A, investment banking, or legal community—or a demonstrated ability and clear plan to build one.
• Proven track record of developing and converting commercial relationships into revenue generating opportunities.
• Working knowledge of M&A transaction dynamics; willingness to learn RWI and the broader transactional insurance product suite is more important than direct product experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage senior executives and external clients.
• Self-starter mentality with strong organizational and relationship-management skills.
• Willingness to travel throughout the Western U.S. and nationally as needed (estimated 30 40%).
Core Capabilities/What Sets You Apart
• Exposure to RWI, Tax, Contingent Risk, M&A advisory, private equity, or transactional legal work.
• Familiarity with the West Coast sponsor ecosystem, including firms such as Thoma Bravo, Francisco Partners, TPG, Golden Gate Capital, GI Partners, Marlin Equity, H.I.G. Capital, Clearlake Capital, Vista Equity Partners, Genstar Capital, Summit Partners, and leading technology-focused investors and acquirers.
• Established relationships with leading investment banks, M&A boutiques, and law firms serving the California and Western U.S. middle-market and large-cap deal communities.
• Comfort building a market presence, creating new opportunities, and helping scale a growing platform. Technical Skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) • Strong written and verbal communication skills Work Environment
Compensation & Benefits
• Hybrid Model: 3–4 days/week in-office in Los Angeles with periodic travel
• Compensation: $90,000-150,000 base salary (commensurate with experience)
• Annual Discretionary Bonus - tied to individual and team performance.
Comprehensive Benefits Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with company match, generous PTO, and access to Howden’s global mobility and development programs.
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
We’re Howden, the people first insurance group with employee ownership at its heart.
From launching with just three employees in 1994, we’ve grown to over 23,000 people around the globe. Together, our expertise span the full spectrum of insurance: broking, reinsurance, underwriting, risk consultancy and employee benefits.
We rise to any challenge and are determined to use insurance as a force for good.
