UK-based Ardonagh has completed its $US500 million ($665 million) acquisition of the BGC Partners insurance operations, increasing gross written premium (GWP) the group places globally to $US13 billion ($17.3 billion).

Following the deal, Besso Insurance, Ed Broking and Piiq Risk Partners will join Bishopsgate, Compass London Markets, Inver Re and Price Forbes in the Ardonagh Specialty and Capital platform.

Ardonagh says the combination creates the largest independent specialty broker in the London market, with offices around the world.

“The businesses within Ardonagh Specialty are known for delivering high calibre solutions to blue chip clients and the brands joining [last week] are a great addition to that family and the wider Ardonagh Group,” Specialty Broking CEO Andrew Wallin said.

“The combined scale of our platform allows us to invest even deeper in our talent, our focus on technological development and our actuarial and analytical capabilities to benefit all our brands.”

Ardonagh Specialty and Capital has a combined $US450 million ($598.8 million) revenue, placing over $US5 billion ($6.7 billion) GWP on behalf of clients, with offices in France, Germany, Turkey, the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Brazil, the USA and Bermuda.

The global group’s annual revenue is now $US1.4 billion ($1.9 billion), the company says, also including Ardonagh Advisory, Ardonagh Retail and Ardonagh International platforms.

The completed BGC deal also includes Sydney-based Epsilon Underwriting.