’As Howden recently made clear by establishing a US leadership team for its expansion in this dynamic market, we are committed to creating opportunities for the most talented and leading players in the sector,’ says vice chairman
Howden has continued its US retail expansion with the acquisition of Gravitas Insurance Agency.
Headquartered in Los Angeles and with clients across America, Gravitas designs and delivers insurance programmes for the entertainment sector.
Howden said the deal “represents another important step in Howden’s strategy to expand in the US” and “further extends its global sport and entertainment capability”.
The broker entered the US retail market when it appointed Mike Parrish as chief executive of Howden US and Jim Hays as vice chairman of Howden Group Holdings in August 2025.
Hays said: “As Howden recently made clear by establishing a US leadership team for its expansion in this dynamic market, we are committed to creating opportunities for the most talented and leading players in the sector.
”The addition of Gravitas is a great example of how we are growing our business in the US through a mix of talent and strategic acquisitions. By harnessing our outstanding global capabilities with specialist expertise, we deliver service with a difference to clients.”
‘Powerful partnership’
Gravitas was founded in 2022 by John Tomlinson as a retail broker exclusively focused on delivering contingency insurance strategies for the music, sport and live event communities.
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Tomlinson said: “The powerful partnership between Gravitas and Howden was forged many years ago and has proven to be a genuine difference maker for the entertainment community.
”This exciting next evolution as a unified front will truly force multiply our ability to deliver unparalleled outcomes for the clients we serve and become the destination of choice for the top talent in our industry.”
His career began in 2019, when he joined a local north London newspaper after graduating from the University of Sheffield with a first-class honours degree in journalism.
He took up the position of deputy news editor at Insurance Times in March 2023, before being promoted to his current role in May 2024.View full Profile
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