Markel has acquired a 49% stake in managing general agent Certa, which was established in 2019 and focuses exclusively on tax and contingent risk. Markel said the investment would accelerate Certa’s product development and geographical expansion plans.

David Sawyer, divisional managing director of professional and financial risk and cyber at Markel International, said: “Markel has provided capacity to Certa from day one, and in a short period of time Certa has become a market-leader in its specialist sector. We believe the business has plenty of headroom for growth in the coming years as the tax sector continues to mature.”

Ed Beckwith, co-founder of Certa, added: “We are extremely excited to have secured a 49% investment from an organisation with Markel’s specialty lines pedigree. Markel’s extensive global footprint, coupled with its high-level underwriting and operational expertise, will hugely aid our potential in developing more tax insurance solutions and other products, as well as providing crucial capacity support for our next expansion phase.”

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