Howden Group-backed DUAL, an international underwriting agency, agreed to acquire Align Financial, an independent general agency. Financial terms were not disclosed. “This is a momentous next step for Align, and one I am delighted to take with DUAL and Howden Group. What stood out to me from the start of our conversations with David, Richard and the senior team was that the platform we will become a part of is entirely designed to be one in which great people thrive. The opportunity to grow a next-generation underwriting management business that charts new territories for ourselves and our partners is very real and compelling. It was immediately clear to our Board and Align’s major investor, Bregal Sagemount, that DUAL Group has an exciting future, and that the talented team that has joined us at Align over the past eighteen years will be presented with incredible opportunities in the newly combined business," Kieran Sweeney, Align Founder and CEO.