Private company

Brit Insurance

Logo: The logo is from the following website: http://www.britinsurance.com/, Non-free logo, via Wikipedia4

General insurance and reinsurance provider

Brit is an international general insurance and reinsurance group specialising in commercial insurance. It was acquired by Fairfax Financial in May 2015.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1995Founded1
  • Industryinsurance1
  • HeadquartersLondon1
  • Websitewww.britinsurance.com
  • Legal formprivate company limited by shares1
  • LEI549300Z8KC02JXCTKW413
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered addressThe Leadenhall Building, EC3V 4AB London, United Kingdom3
  • Registered withCompanies House, 031215943

See how the biggest companies compare on our leaderboards

Brit is an international general insurance and reinsurance group specialising in commercial insurance. It was acquired by Fairfax Financial in May 2015.2

Corporate structure

Brit Insurance is part of a group headed by Fairfax Financial. 167 entities, 27 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Fairfax Financial Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • AGT Food and Ingredients Toronto, Ontario, Canada
      • Big Sky Rail Subsidiary · Emerald Park
      • ALLIANCE PULSE PROCESSORS INC. Subsidiary · Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
        • A. Poortman (London) Limited Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
          • 1 more
        • AUSTRALIA MILLING GROUP PTY LTD Subsidiary · Sydney, Australia
        • UNITED PULSE TRADING INC. Subsidiary · Bismark, North Dakota, United States
    • Fairfax India Toronto, Ontario, Canada
      • FIH MAURITIUS INVESTMENTS LTD Subsidiary · Quatre Bornes, Mauritius
      • FIH PRIVATE INVESTMENTS LTD Subsidiary · Quatre Bornes, Mauritius
      • I INVESTMENTS LIMITED Subsidiary · Quatre Bornes, Mauritius
    • FAIRFAX UK HOLDINGS LIMITED London, United Kingdom
      • Brit Insurance London, United Kingdom
      • Brit Group Holdings Limited Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
      • Brit Reinsurance (Bermuda) Limited Subsidiary · Hamilton, Bermuda
      • BRIT SYNDICATES LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
      • BRIT UW LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
        • SYNDICATE 2987 Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
      • KI FINANCIAL LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
        • Ki Managing Agency Limited Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
        • SYNDICATE 1618 Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
    • Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
      • HWIC ASIA FUND Fund · Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • ODYSSEY GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. Stamford, Connecticut, United States
      • Hudson Insurance Company New York, New York, United States
        • Hudson Specialty Insurance Company Subsidiary · United States
      • GREYSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY Subsidiary · Stamford, Connecticut, United States
      • Hilltop Specialty Insurance Company Subsidiary · New York, New York, United States
      • HUDSON EXCESS INSURANCE COMPANY Subsidiary · Wilmington, Delaware, United States
      • NAPA RIVER INSURANCE SERVICES, INC. Subsidiary · Napa, California, United States
      • NEWLINE CORPORATE NAME LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
      • NEWLINE HOLDINGS UK LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
      • NEWLINE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
      • O.R.E HOLDINGS LIMITED Subsidiary · Quatre Bornes, Mauritius
      • ODYSSEY HOLDINGS LATIN AMERICA, INC. Subsidiary · Stamford, Connecticut, United States
      • ODYSSEY RE EUROPE HOLDINGS S.A.S. Subsidiary · Paris, France
      • ODYSSEY RE EUROPE S.A. Subsidiary · Paris, France
      • Odyssey Reinsurance (Barbados) Ltd. Subsidiary · Bridgetown, Barbados
    • Thomas Cook (India) Limited Mumbai, India
      • SOTC Travel Mumbai, India
      • TCI Travel Subsidiary · Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
      • TC TOURS LIMITED Subsidiary · 100% · Mumbai, India
      • DESERT ADVENTURES TOURISM L.L.C Subsidiary · Mumbai, India
      • Kuoni Travel (Hong Kong, old legal person) Subsidiary · China
      • TRAVEL CORPORATION (INDIA) LIMITED Subsidiary · Mumbai, India
        • Travel Circle International Limited Subsidiary · Hong Kong, China
    • Eurobank Subsidiary · 17.29% · Athens, Greece
    • Metlen Energy & Metals Subsidiary · 5.9% · Marousi, Greece
      • Protergia Amarousio, Greece
      • Sometra Copsa Mica, Romania
      • Aluminium of Greece Subsidiary · Marousi
        • DELPHI-DISTOMON Subsidiary
      • M&M Gas Subsidiary · Athens, Greece
      • METKA Subsidiary · Athens
      • AIOLIKI ANDROU TSIROVLIDI S.A. (ΑΙΟΛΙΚΗ ΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΤΣΙΡΟΒΛΙΔΙ ΑΝΩΝΥΜΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ) Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • AIOLIKI TRIKORFON S.A.OF PRODUCTION AND TRADING OF ELECTRIC ENERGY Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • EGNATIA EKMETALLEUSI KAI DIACHEIRISI AKINITON MONOPROSOPI ANONYMI ETAIREIA Subsidiary · Stavroupoli Thessaloniki, Greece
      • EGNATIA MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTIONS SOLE-PERSON COMPANY Subsidiary · Thessaloniki, Greece
      • EGNATIA WIND ENERGEIAKI MONOPROSOPI ANONYMI ETAIREIA (ΕΓΝΑΤΙΑ WIND ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑΚΗ ΜΟΝΟΠΡΟΣΩΠΗ ΑΝΩΝΥΜΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ) Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • EOLIKI SIDIROKASTROU SOCIETE ANONYME (ΑΙΟΛΙΚΗ ΣΙΔΗΡΟΚΑΣΤΡΟΥ ΑΝΩΝΥΜΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ) Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • EP.AL.ME S.A. (ΕΠΕΞΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ ΑΛΟΥΜΙΝΙΟΥ ΜΕΤΑΛΛΟΒΙΟΜΗΧΑΝΙΑ ΕΠ.ΑΛ.ΜΕ Α.Ε.) Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • KORINTHOS POWER SOCIETE ANONYME OF GENERATION AND TRADING OF ELECTRICITY Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • MC11 KATASKEVI KAI DIACHEIRISI ARDEFTIKOU DIKTYOU YPEREIAS - ORFANON EIDIKOU SKOPOU SOCIETE ANONYME Subsidiary · Karditsa, Greece
      • MC17 Kataskeyi kai Diacheirisi Scholeion Kentrikis Makedonias Anonymi Etairia Eidikou Skopou Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
      • METKA - EGN LTD Subsidiary · Strovolos, Cyprus
      • METKA A.E. OMILOS EPICHEIRISEON S.A. (ΜΕΤΚΑ Α.Ε. ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΕΠΙΧΕΙΡΗΣΕΩΝ) Subsidiary · Amarousiou, Greece
      • METKA EGN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS TWO PTY LTD Subsidiary · Melbourne, Australia
      • METLEN INTERNATIONAL TRADING COMPANY AG Subsidiary · Baar, Switzerland
      • MYT ENERGY CLUSTER HOLDING S.R.L. Subsidiary · Milano, Italy
      • POWER PROJECTS SANAYI INSAAT TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI (POWER PROJECTS SANAYİ İNŞAAT TİCARET LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ) Subsidiary · Istanbul, Turkey
      • RENEWABLE SOURCES OF KARYSTIA SINGLE MEMBER SOCIETE ANONYME Subsidiary · Marousi, Greece
    • Fairfax Brasil Subsidiary · São Paulo
    • Grivalia Properties REIC Subsidiary · Marousi
    • Odyssey Re Subsidiary · Stamford, Connecticut, United States
      • Newline Holdings U.K. Limited Subsidiary · London
        • Newline Underwriting Management Limited Subsidiary
      • Clearwater Insurance Company Subsidiary · United States
    • Recipe Unlimited Subsidiary · Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
      • East Side Mario's Subsidiary · Mississauga
      • Franworks Group Subsidiary · Calgary
      • Harvey's Subsidiary · Vaughan
      • Kelseys Original Roadhouse Subsidiary · Vaughan
      • Montana's BBQ & Bar Subsidiary · Vaughan
      • New York Fries Subsidiary
      • St-Hubert Subsidiary · Laval
      • Swiss Chalet Subsidiary · Toronto
      • The Burger's Priest Subsidiary
      • 1909 Taverne Moderne Subsidiary · Montreal, Canada
      • Añejo Restaurant Subsidiary · Canada
      • Bier Markt Subsidiary · Canada
      • Blanco Cantina Subsidiary · Canada
      • Elephant & Castle Subsidiary · Canada
      • Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar Subsidiary · Canada
      • Original Joe's Subsidiary · Canada
      • Pickle Barrel Subsidiary · Canada
      • State & Main Subsidiary · Canada
      • The Landing Group Subsidiary · Canada
      • Ultimate Kitchens Subsidiary · Canada
    • The Keg Subsidiary · Richmond
    • Zenith Insurance Company Subsidiary · Woodland Hills
    • Bryte Insurance Company Limited Subsidiary · 100% · Johannesburg, South Africa
    • MEADOW FOODS LIMITED Subsidiary · 100% · Chester, United Kingdom
    • Sleep Country Canada Inc. Subsidiary · 100% · Brampton, Ontario, Canada
    • ALLIED WORLD ASSURANCE COMPANY (EUROPE) DESIGNATED ACTIVITY COMPANY Subsidiary · Dublin, Ireland
    • Allied World Assurance Company Holdings I, Ltd Subsidiary · Hamilton, Bermuda
    • Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd Subsidiary · Zug, Switzerland
    • ALLIED WORLD ASSURANCE COMPANY, LTD Subsidiary · Zug, Switzerland
    • ALLIED WORLD INSURANCE COMPANY Subsidiary · New York, New York, United States
      • ALLIED WORLD ASSURANCE COMPANY (U.S.) INC. Subsidiary · Wilmington, Delaware, United States
    • ALLIED WORLD MANAGING AGENCY LIMITED Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
    • ALLIED WORLD NATIONAL ASSURANCE COMPANY Subsidiary · New York, New York, United States
    • ALLIED WORLD SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY Subsidiary · Farmington, Connecticut, United States
      • Allied World Surplus Lines Insurance Company Subsidiary · New York, New York, United States
    • and 38 more

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

The Company was founded as Benfield & Rea Investment Trust in 1995. In 1996 it acquired Stewart Syndicates Limited and in 1999 it went on to buy Wren PLC. In 1999 it ceased to be an investment trust and relisted as Brit Insurance Holdings PLC.

Achilles Netherlands Holdings B.V., a company formed by funds managed by private equity firms Apollo Management and CVC Capital Partners, agreed to acquire the firm for £888 million in October 2010. Its offer was declared unconditional in March 2011 and following this Brit Insurance was removed from the FTSE 250 Index.

On 18 June 2012 Brit announced the sale of its subsidiary Brit Insurance Limited (BIL) to RiverStone Group. The company was subject to an initial public offering in March 2014.

The company was acquired by Fairfax Financial in May 2015.

From Wikipedia’s article on Brit Insurance, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Products and brands

  • insurance

Listed on Wikidata.1

Brit has a diversified portfolio of businesses both in terms of geographic location and types of business. Business is written through Lloyd's Syndicate 2987.

From Wikipedia’s article on Brit Insurance, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Parent company (GLEIF)

Ultimate parent

From Wikidata.1 Ownership links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); each one cites its LEI record.

Timeline

  1. Jun 5, 2015Parent Directly consolidated by FAIRFAX UK HOLDINGS LIMITED3
  2. 1995Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5