First Actuarial acquired by A J Gallagher, global insurance broker
8 December 2025
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co – one of the world’s largest insurance broker, risk management and consulting firms – acquired First Actuarial on 2 December 2025, forming one of the UK’s largest pension and employee benefit consultancies.
David Joy, Managing Partner at First Actuarial, says: “We’ve enjoyed 21 wonderful years building a business our clients love and we’re now really excited to be joining the Gallagher family to continue our journey. We’ve enjoyed getting to know the Gallagher team during our discussions and the overlap in our values quickly became clear. We share a strong focus on clients, a commitment to professionalism, and a caring and warm culture.”
Gallagher sees First Actuarial as a key part of its plans to strengthen its UK market position. The company already has a strong actuarial, administration and consultancy business here. The acquisition opens up full market coverage to the new combined company.
David Piltz, CEO at Gallagher, says: “We are pleased to announce that Gallagher has acquired First Actuarial. Gallagher is one of the UK’s leading pensions and employee benefits consulting businesses. The deal will broaden, deepen and enhance client offerings, expanding Gallagher’s value proposition.
“As the UK pensions market evolves with increasing complexity and regulatory change, First Actuarial brings complementary capabilities that enhance our ability to serve clients across the full spectrum of scheme sizes, ensuring a seamless integration and a unified approach to delivering exceptional service.”
First Actuarial will operate on a ‘business as usual’ basis for the foreseeable future. The entire management board and all partners will stay on in their current roles. Staff will continue to use the same systems and processes, and First Actuarial’s name and logo will remain in use.
Over time, the acquisition is expected to have a positive impact on First Actuarial’s services, as the consultancy draws on Gallagher’s many strengths – including technology, scale and expertise – to offer our clients new tools and even better services. By way of example, Gallagher has an award-winning technology platform – Gallagher Guide – which offers a fully digital retirement journey for pension scheme members.
David Joy concludes: “We’ve come a long way since 2004, and we feel like we’ve found our new home at Gallagher. With their support and investment, we’re going to go a long way in the future.”