Vice President - Business Development

Howden Group; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Flexible Paid Time Off

Life and Disability insurance

Job summary

Howden Group, Chicago, seeks a Vice President, Business Development to lead Midwest market development, originate new relationships with PE sponsors, banks, and law firms, and strengthen the Howden Private Capital brand. The role centers on a disciplined BD strategy, generating meetings, coordinating outreach, and partnering with brokers to convert opportunities into revenue.

The candidate will travel regionally, manage complex deal activity, and contribute to broader commercial initiatives

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 4+ years in business development, sales, investment-related fields or insurance brokerage.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and multi-priority management.
• Proven track record building and managing executive relationships.
• Strong networking, communication and presentation skills.
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to travel.
• Willingness to travel throughout the Midwest and nationally.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic Midwest business development plan.
• Build and maintain relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks, corporate development teams, and M&A law firms.
• Generate qualified meetings and introductions for senior brokers.
• Identify opportunities in RWI and other transactional insurance products and coordinate outreach.
• Collaborate with brokers and leadership to develop market relationships and manage CRM pipelines.

Skills

Networking

Communication

Presentation skills

Organizational skills

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Who are we? Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like‑minded people driving change at Howden.

Vice President, Business Development Hybrid out of Chicago, IL

Who are we? Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 20,000 employees spanning over 100 countries. Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

Why work at Howden? We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down disappointed head- hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like‑minded people driving change at Howden.

About Howden Private Capital

Howden Private Capital (formerly Atlantic Global Risk) is the transactional risk arm of Howden, one of the world's leading independent insurance brokers. We advise private equity sponsors, corporations, investment banks, and law firms on Representations & Warranties Insurance (RWI), Tax Liability Insurance, Contingent Risk, Structured Risk, and Credit Insurance solutions. Our team supports many of the most complex M&A and capital markets transactions across North America and globally.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Vice President, Business Development to lead and expand Howden Private Capital's commercial development efforts across the Midwest region, with Chicago serving as the primary market. This is a market-facing role focused on originating new relationships, creating opportunities for our brokerage team, and strengthening the Howden Private Capital brand among private equity firms, corporate acquirers, investment banks, and M&A law firms. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing a disciplined business development strategy, generating qualified meetings and opportunities, coordinating market outreach efforts, and partnering closely with brokers to convert relationships into revenue-generating business.

What will you be doing?

Business Development & Origination

• Develop and execute a strategic business development plan for the Midwest region.
• Build and maintain relationships with private equity sponsors, independent sponsors, corporate development teams, investment banks, and leading M&A law firms.
• Generate qualified meetings and introductions for senior brokers and coverage specialists.
• Identify and cultivate new business opportunities primarily with respect to RWI and secondarily with respect to other key transactional (e.g., Tax, Contingent, Structured Risk, and Credit Insurance) and operational insurance products).
• Maintain an organized and methodical outreach process utilizing CRM systems and reporting tools.

Relationship Management

• Serve as an ambassador for the Howden Private Capital brand throughout the Midwest deal community.
• Maintain regular contact with existing and prospective clients through targeted outreach and relationship‑building initiatives.
• Coordinate roadshows, networking events, conferences, and client entertainment activities.
• Partner with brokers and senior leadership to develop and deepen key market relationships.

Market Presence

• Represent Howden Private Capital at industry conferences, association events, and transaction‑focused networking opportunities.
• Assist with the planning and execution of Chicago‑based client events and educational programs.
• Develop local market intelligence regarding sponsors, advisors, deal activity, and competitive dynamics.
• Collaborate with marketing and leadership teams to increase brand recognition and market penetration.

Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with senior brokers and deal teams to transition opportunities through the sales cycle.
• Coordinate with other Howden specialty practices when opportunities arise across healthcare, tax, real estate, cyber, structured solutions, and other product lines.
• Maintain accurate pipeline reporting and activity tracking through CRM systems.
• Contribute to broader business development strategy and commercial initiatives.

What are we looking for?

• Required Bachelor's degree.
• 4+ years of experience in business development, sales, investment banking, private equity, transactional legal practice, insurance brokerage, or a related field.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail, able to effectively manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Demonstrated success building and managing executive‑level relationships.
• Strong networking, communication, and presentation skills.
• Self‑starter with an entrepreneurial mindset and strong organizational abilities.
• Ability to travel throughout the Midwest and nationally as needed.
• Preferred Experience working with private equity firms, investment banks, law firms, or M&A advisory businesses.
• Existing network within the Chicago and broader Midwest deal community.
• Familiarity with transactional insurance products and M&A processes.
• Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM platforms.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected base salary range for this role is $125,000 - $150,000+; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location. This role is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In addition to a competitive base salary, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible Paid Time Off and paid parental leave
• Life and Disability insurance

Our sustainability promise

We’re on a life‑long journey to become an ever‑more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us: Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*. *Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations.

Permanent

Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long‑term, minority growth‑equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.