Broker is in the early stages of a 'significant' tie-up

Independent broking giant Henderson has completed its latest acquisition and could be tempted by a large deal to fulfil ambitious growth plans.

It has acquired fellow Leeds-based business Denney O’Hara, a financial adviser and pension consultant specialist that also has a general insurance brokerage with gross written premium in excess of £5m. Its total brokerage is around £1.3m.

Founder and chairman Brian Denney – a former Biba chairman – will remain with the business he established 52 years ago, in a consultancy role for a minimum of three years, along with its 20 staff.

Chief executive Joe Henderson said the deal would allow it to expand into the life and pensions, and wealth management sectors.

Henderson is currently working on two other “modest acquisitions” to bolt onto existing offices. But he added that the firm was also in talks with a “significant player in a new region” that would add around 40% growth to the business, but insisted it was still early days.