Aston Lark Ireland has announced specialist insurance broker J F Dunne Insurances Ltd as its latest acquisition.
Based in Kildare, J F Dunne Insurances was established in 1977 by John Dunne alongside his wife Anita, with their son Carlos joining in 2000 and taking over as CEO in 2014 and daughter Arianne joining in 2010, becoming COO in 2021.
Long-serving senior executives Colm Devitt and Philip Kenny, who have over 60 years in the brokerage combined, have been a major part of the J F Dunne Insurances management team, positioning the company as one of Ireland’s leading specialist insurance providers.
With a team of 22, they are proud to have a strong reputation for service excellence, providing value and quality for clients whilst building long-term relationships. Their specialisms include a nationwide bus and coach scheme, the first group motor scheme developed in the country, over 50s motor and home insurance products (Caoga), and a pupil personal accident policy for schools.
The J F Dunne Insurances name and brand will continue, and all employees will also remain under the leadership of the existing management team.
Robert Kennedy, Aston Lark Ireland CEO, said: “J F Dunne Insurances is a fantastic business with a team of high calibre insurance professionals. They have a well-deserved reputation for their strength and depth of insurance expertise, combined with a commitment to delivering excellent client service.
“We are proud of the specialist knowledge we have in our growing team, and the addition of J F Dunne Insurances strengthens and broadens our capabilities into new areas, which will only be further enhanced as part of Howden.
“Given our shared client-orientated approach and company culture, I believe this is an excellent fit for us both. I'm delighted to welcome Carlos, Arianne, Colm, Philip and the whole team to the Aston Lark family.”
Commenting on the deal Carlos Dunne, CEO of J F Dunne Insurances, said: “Having spoken to Robert and known him for a long time, the focus and direction of his leadership very closely aligned with our own. There is a definite emphasis on customer support and relationship development, which appealed to us from the start of our conversations. Becoming a part of a larger organisation like Aston Lark widens the range of services and products we can offer our clients and opens new avenues and markets for us.
“With the Howden acquisition of the Aston Lark group coming amid our negotiations, we were satisfied to continue our talks after looking into their reputation, track record and how their business had developed and grown. We look forward to becoming an integral and valuable part of the overall Howden business and working closely with Robert, CFO Mark Nolan and the rest of the team in Aston Lark.”