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Strategic Advisor·Insurance Brokerage

Hauke Martinsen

CEO and Co-founder at HBC (Hanseatic Broking Center)

Hamburg, Germany

HM
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Why they matter

Architect of HBC's German broker roll-up and its ~€700m Bridgepoint deal; now a board member with full insider knowledge and no CEO day-job constraints.

Background

Hauke Martinsen built the specialty insurance MGA Gaede & Glauerdt and sold it into the newly forming Hanseatic Broking Center (HBC) in 2023, becoming the driving figure behind HBC's creation as a DACH insurance-distribution consolidator. As CEO he led HBC through a rapid roll-up of brokers and MGAs and through Bridgepoint's July 2025 majority-stake investment, which valued the platform at roughly €700 million. In September 2025 he handed the CEO role to HBC founder Gert Schlossmacher, moving to the HBC board while remaining Managing Director of Gaede & Glauerdt.

Notable deals

  • 2023
    Sold his brokerage/MGA Gaede & Glauerdt into the newly forming HBC platform, becoming its leading figure
  • 2023
    As HBC CEO, led the acquisition of Scanbroker Group, HBC's sixth broker acquisition
  • 2025
    Led HBC as CEO and co-founder through Bridgepoint's majority-stake investment (~€700m valuation)
  • 2025
    Stepped down as HBC CEO to the board as Gert Schlossmacher took over, remaining MD of Gaede & Glauerdt

Call-prep brief

Hauke Martinsen — Board Member, HBC / Managing Director, Gaede & Glauerdt

Background

  • Owned and ran Gaede & Glauerdt, a Hamburg-based marine/transport insurance MGA, before selling it into HBC in 2023 as the founding transaction of the platform.
  • Served as HBC's CEO from formation through mid-2025, overseeing acquisitions of Scanbroker, TPSH, Albis, Pro Found, Deneke and others.

Current focus

  • Stepped back from the HBC CEO seat in September 2025 (successor: founder Gert Schlossmacher) but stayed on the HBC board and continues running Gaede & Glauerdt day-to-day.
  • Likely has more bandwidth now than during his CEO tenure — a good window for an unhurried conversation.

What he cares about

  • Consolidation economics in DACH insurance broking/MGA — he has publicly argued brokers must "actively shape consolidation or be consolidated."
  • Specialty/MGA underwriting capability as a growth lever, not just broking scale.

Recent moves / sensitivities

  • Bridgepoint took a majority stake in HBC in July 2025 (~€700m valuation); Preservation Capital Partners fully exited.
  • His move from CEO to board member shortly after the Bridgepoint deal closed could be a sensitive topic — approach it factually, not as a demotion narrative.

Questions to ask

  1. What did Bridgepoint change operationally at HBC once it took control, and how did the board/CEO transition come about?
  2. How does HBC evaluate and integrate MGA targets differently from pure broking targets?
  3. What's next for Gaede & Glauerdt within the group — more autonomy or deeper integration?

Outreach draft

Subject
Insight on HBC's DACH insurance consolidation strategy
Hi Hauke, I've been following HBC's build-out since the Gaede & Glauerdt days and the Bridgepoint transaction this year — an impressive run of consolidation in a fragmented DACH broking market. We're doing work on insurance distribution and MGA platforms and would value your perspective, particularly on how HBC approaches integrating acquired brokers versus MGAs, and how the Bridgepoint partnership is shaping the next phase of growth. Would you be open to a short call in the next couple of weeks? Happy to work around your schedule. Best, [Placeholder Name]

Linked companies

Sources