Howden, an international insurance broking group, agreed to acquire Aston Lark, an independent insurance brokers specializing in complex commercial and private client insurance and employee benefit advice, from Goldman Sachs, an investment manager, and Bowmark Capital, a private equity firm, for $1.5bn. "The completion of our UK Broking platform is a deal a decade in the making and I’m thrilled that Aston Lark’s highly respected and experienced management team has chosen Howden as its final home," David Howden, Howden Group CEO.