Majority Stake in Distinguished Programs Acquired by White Mountains
White Mountains will support Distinguished鈥檚 continued organic and inorganic growth strategy. Distinguished will continue to be led by industry veterans Bill Malloy (CEO), Jason Rotman (President) and Steve Sitterly (COO), and no major changes in management or strategy are foreseen as part of the transaction. Key existing shareholders, including Aquiline Capital, will remain significant minority owners.
Since its founding in 1995, Distinguished has grown into one of the largest independent program managers in the
鈥淲hite Mountains has deep insurance expertise and a strong track record helping insurance distribution companies like us scale successfully,鈥� said Jason Rotman, President of Distinguished. 鈥淔ollowing several years working alongside the Aquiline team, Bill, Steve and I are very excited to now have White Mountains as a partner during our next phase of growth.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e been keen observers of Distinguished鈥檚 recent progress, and we are pleased to make this acquisition alongside fellow shareholders and a seasoned management team we鈥檝e known for many years,鈥� said Manning Rountree, CEO of White Mountains. 鈥淭hey are well-positioned in an attractive and dynamic market, and we look forward to partnering with the team to capitalize on the organic and inorganic growth opportunities ahead.鈥�
Igno van Waesberghe, Managing Partner at Aquiline, said 鈥淲e are very excited for Distinguished Program鈥檚 next phase of success. Bill, Jason and Steve have all been long-standing members of the Aquiline community and we were privileged to support them as the leaders of Distinguished. It has been a pleasure to work with them to help them bring together an exceptional team who have institutionalized the business and transformed it into an industry leader. I'm very pleased that we will continue to remain close to Distinguished as partners and shareholders.鈥�
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP acted as legal advisor to White Mountains. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP acted as legal advisor to the Company and Aquiline. Mayer Brown LLP acted as legal advisor the Company鈥檚 management team. Guy Carpenter Capital & Advisory provided a fairness opinion to Aquiline.
About Distinguished Programs
Distinguished Programs is a leading national MGA and program manager for specialty property & casualty insurance. The company places insurance in niche sectors such as commercial real estate, hotels & restaurants, community associations, environmental & construction professional, cyber, surety, executive lines, inland marine and fine arts & collectibles. On behalf of its insurance carrier partners, Distinguished typically manages all aspects of the placement process, including product development, marketing, underwriting, policy issuance and claims. Through thoughtful innovation, stemming back to 1995, Distinguished Programs fosters growth and opportunities for its brokers, carriers, and employees.
About White Mountains
White Mountains is a
About Aquiline
Aquiline Capital Partners LP (鈥淎quiline鈥�) is a private investment firm based in
For more information about Aquiline, its investment professionals, and its portfolio companies, visit: .
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Distinguished Programs
Ritchie Vener
(212) 297-3190
[email protected]
Aquiline
Anthony Silverman, Apella Advisors
+44 (0)7818 036 579
[email protected]
Source: Distinguished Programs