Acrisure Launches Asero Insurance Services to Revolutionize MGA Landscape
Acrisure has introduced Asero Insurance Services, a new managing general agency (MGA) that integrates several of the company's existing program administrators under a single brand in the United States. Asero currently includes six out of Acrisure's 13 U.S.-based MGAs, which together underwrite over $1 billion in premiums. The new MGA plans to incorporate additional program administrators in the future.
Chris Bressette, Acrisure’s Chief Underwriting Officer, describes Asero as a platform that combines specialized underwriting expertise with deep data, analytics, and claims insight. This structure is designed to leverage collective knowledge while maintaining each unit's specialization and established client relationships.
Asero's program administrators will retain their individual underwriting specializations, enhanced by shared resources in data and analytics, actuarial services, and technology. They will operate under delegated authority agreements with independent insurance carriers, enabling them to underwrite and issue policies for these providers. The MGA distributes products via independent retail agents, wholesalers, and alternative channels, targeting small to medium-sized enterprises in sectors such as commercial auto, logistics, and artisan contracting.
The creation of Asero follows the launch of Ascendri Insurance Services, which focuses on excess and surplus homeowners coverage in California, and the acquisition of Vave, a tech-centric property MGA from Canopius Group. Vave, which adds significant quoting capability for catastrophe-exposed properties, enhances Acrisure's larger underwriting platform.
Asero aims to address challenging segments within the U.S. commercial market, particularly commercial auto, which has faced prolonged underwriting losses partly due to rising jury awards. Industry data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) indicates that nuclear verdicts have driven substantial increases in loss severity for this line.
As these segments encounter increasing litigation-driven pressures, demand for MGAs with niche underwriting skills and adaptable pricing options has grown, especially as traditional insurers withdraw from complex risks. The broader U.S. MGA sector has seen double-digit premium growth, driven by strategic investments and consolidations into larger platforms.
As the MGA market expands, industry experts at S&P Global Ratings highlight the need for robust governance to ensure that fronting carriers maintain oversight and manage potential misalignments in incentives between MGAs and insurers. Meanwhile, Acrisure continues substantial growth, fueled by strategic MGA acquisitions and the expansion of its brokerage operations.