---
title: "Amelia Risk vs Cowbell D&O Insurance"
description: "Amelia Risk is a retail D&O broker; Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus private-company D&O only to appointed E&S wholesalers."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Amelia Risk vs Cowbell D&O Insurance

Amelia Risk is a retail D&O broker; Cowbell distributes Zurich Select Plus private-company D&O only to appointed E&S wholesalers.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Amelia Risk and Cowbell for D&O Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote.

## Summary

Amelia Risk brokers D&O for startups and other listed segments, while Cowbell distributes Zurich’s Select Plus Private Company D&O module on Zurich admitted paper, accessible only to appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers, for private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") [6](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/startups/ "Insurance For Startups") [7](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/technology/ "Insurance For Technology Companies") [8](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/cpg/ "Insurance For CPG Companies") [9](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/consumer-products/ "Consumer Product Insurance") [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

## What Is Amelia Risk?

Amelia Risk is a women-owned San Francisco insurance brokerage that says it designs commercial programs for startups, consumer packaged goods, technology companies, and consumer-product brands by approaching multiple insurers rather than selling a self-serve policy. [1](https://ameliarisk.com/ "Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers") [2](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/ "Our Specialties") [3](https://ameliarisk.com/about-us/ "About Us")

[Amelia Risk profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/amelia-risk)

## What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell is a specialty-insurance platform and agency focused on cyber risk for small and midsize businesses. Its U.S. catalogue also includes combined Technology E&O and cyber products and a Zurich management-liability offering distributed through appointed wholesalers. [10](https://cowbell.insure/ "Cowbell") [11](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf "Prime Tech Product Overview") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

[Cowbell profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/cowbell)

## What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. [14](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms "Glossary of Business Insurance Terms")

## Key Differences in D&O Insurance

### How the Line Is Distributed

Amelia Risk arranges D&O as a brokerage placement for clients. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") Cowbell distributes Zurich’s Select Plus Private Company D&O module to appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through its platform; Zurich underwrites the module. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")

Cowbell says the module is not sold directly to businesses. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") Amelia Risk’s reviewed sources describe a brokerage placement, not wholesale-only API access. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

### Stated Appetite

Cowbell targets private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, in industries such as technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and retail. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") Amelia Risk lists D&O for startups, technology, CPG and consumer-product companies; its reviewed sources do not state those employee or asset thresholds. [6](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/startups/ "Insurance For Startups") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

### Who Issues the Policy

Cowbell and Zurich say Select Plus modules, including D&O, are offered on Zurich admitted paper. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") Amelia Risk’s reviewed sources do not name an issuing insurer. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

## What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

- Confirm whether your broker is a Zurich-appointed E&S wholesaler with Cowbell platform access. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Check employee count and assets against Cowbell’s under-250 / under-$50 million target. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Ask Amelia Risk which carrier would issue the placement. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")
- Get actual limits from both quotes; neither reviewed source publishes them. [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Amelia Risk Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Brokerage | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company D&O |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Amelia Risk arranges D&O liability coverage for clients, describing and structuring the policy around protecting individual directors and officers, the board, and the company entity, rather than underwriting it directly. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O product page as of 23 September 2026. Does not establish who issues a particular client's policy..) | Private Company D&O is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell gives Zurich-appointed E&S wholesalers platform access, and Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page labels this module 'Private Management and Company Liability' rather than plain 'D&O.' [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section..) |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed pages do not name an insurer for D&O placements; Amelia's marketing describes access to underwriters, wholesale brokers and carrier partners generally, without attributing any of them to D&O specifically. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: D&O product page and podcast transcript, checked 23 September 2026..) | Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including D&O, are offered on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this D&O module. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer..) |
| Who It’s For | Amelia Risk lists D&O among the policies it places for startups, technology companies, CPG brands, and consumer-product companies. [6](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/startups/ "Insurance For Startups") [7](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/technology/ "Insurance For Technology Companies") [8](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/cpg/ "Insurance For CPG Companies") [9](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/consumer-products/ "Consumer Product Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Specialty pages' "policies to consider" lists, marketed segments rather than an underwriting appetite statement..)<br><br>Amelia Risk says most companies consider D&O once they've taken outside funding, that Series A term sheets usually require it, and that it's becoming more common to see D&O bought at the seed stage as seed rounds grow larger. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") [5](https://ameliarisk.com/blog/beyond-the-certificate/ "Podcast Episode – Beyond The Certificate With Startup CPG") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O product page timing guidance, restated in more detail by co-founder Danielle Holyoake in the company's podcast episode..) | Cowbell targets this D&O module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, in industries such as technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list..) |
| Coverage Features | Amelia describes the D&O policy as covering the individual directors and officers, the board, and the entity, with claims typically alleging mismanagement and most often coming from shareholders, though they can also come from regulators, competitors, or employees. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O product page description; the actual policy wording, definitions, and exclusions depend on the issuing insurer and the client's declarations..)<br><br>In the company's podcast, co-founder Danielle Holyoake says the D&O policies she has reviewed and sold generally define "directors and officers" broadly enough to include employees and even interns, rather than naming specific individuals on the policy. [5](https://ameliarisk.com/blog/beyond-the-certificate/ "Podcast Episode – Beyond The Certificate With Startup CPG") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Her description of policies she has personally reviewed and sold, not a specimen form or a statement about every D&O policy Amelia places..) | Cowbell describes D&O liability as protecting the personal assets of directors and officers and the company's financial assets against claims alleging wrongful acts in their capacity as directors and officers. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes D&O limit or retention amounts. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [12](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23..) |
| Risk Services | The reviewed D&O materials don't describe governance training, board-advisory services, or other risk-control services specific to D&O policyholders beyond the coverage description and general claims-advocacy language. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") [5](https://ameliarisk.com/blog/beyond-the-certificate/ "Podcast Episode – Beyond The Certificate With Startup CPG") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: D&O product page and podcast transcript as read on 23 September 2026; does not establish that no such services exist, only that these pages don't describe them..) | Cowbell frames D&O coverage as a way to help attract and retain directors and officers by giving them personal-asset protection, and says the product covers legal fees, settlements, and other defense costs for the company and its management. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?'..) |
| How to Apply | Amelia's co-founder says D&O underwriting can take as little as a few days to a few weeks once complete information is provided, and recommends budgeting two to three weeks; she also cautions founders not to wait until a funding round or other transaction is imminent, because decisions made before a claims-made D&O policy starts aren't covered by it. [5](https://ameliarisk.com/blog/beyond-the-certificate/ "Podcast Episode – Beyond The Certificate With Startup CPG") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Illustrative timing comment in a company-hosted podcast interview, not a binding service-level agreement..) | This D&O module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. [13](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Amelia Risk vs Cowbell](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims.
- [What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/directors-officers): Directors and officers insurance can help pay for covered claims against company leaders over decisions they make in running the business.
- [Amelia Risk vs Cowbell Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell/cyber)
- [Amelia Risk vs Cowbell Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell/employment-practices)
- [Amelia Risk vs Cowbell Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs Amelia Risk D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-amelia-risk/directors-officers)
- [Alliance Risk vs Cowbell D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-cowbell/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Beazley D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-beazley/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs CFC D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cfc/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Chubb D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-chubb/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Coalition D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-coalition/directors-officers)

## Sources

### Amelia Risk

1. [Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers](https://ameliarisk.com/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Who is Amelia?; specialty tiles for startups, CPG, technology, and consumer products; schema.org Organization name and logo; footer locations San Francisco and East Bay; Client Login Portal, Pay Now, and Privacy links; official logo asset. Accessed 2026-09-16.
2. [Our Specialties](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Narrow industry-vertical focus; underwriters, brokers, and carrier partners; four-step process; claims advocacy sentence; specialty sections for startups, CPG, technology, and consumer products. Accessed 2026-09-16.
3. [About Us](https://ameliarisk.com/about-us/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Opening brokerage description; How we're different (no multiple PDFs to print, sign, and scan); We do the right thing (underwriters, wholesale brokers, and strategic partners). Accessed 2026-09-16.
4. [Directors and Officers Liability](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; What's covered by a Directors & Officers Liability (D&O) Policy?; When should a company buy a Directors & Officers Liability (D&O) Policy?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
5. [Podcast Episode – Beyond The Certificate With Startup CPG](https://ameliarisk.com/blog/beyond-the-certificate/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Danielle Holyoake (CRO and co-founder) on D&O: why it comes up during fundraising, who it protects, when claims typically arise, underwriting timing of days to a few weeks with complete information, budgeting two to three weeks, and the caution against waiting until a transaction is imminent. Accessed 2026-09-23.
6. [Insurance For Startups](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/startups/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Insurance policies for startups to consider: Directors & Officers Liability (D&O). Accessed 2026-09-23.
7. [Insurance For Technology Companies](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/technology/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Insurance policies for tech companies to consider: Directors & Officers Liability (D&O). Accessed 2026-09-23.
8. [Insurance For CPG Companies](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/cpg/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Insurance policies for CPG companies to consider: Directors & Officers Liability (D&O). Accessed 2026-09-23.
9. [Consumer Product Insurance](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/consumer-products/). Amelia Risk Insurance Brokers; Insurance policies for Consumer Product companies to consider: Directors & Officers Liability (D&O). Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Cowbell

10. [Cowbell](https://cowbell.insure/). Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
11. [Prime Tech Product Overview](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf). Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
12. [Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability). Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Private Management and Company Liability'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. Accessed 2026-09-23.
13. [Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/). Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (D&O definition); FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?' (Protection for Directors and Officers, Legal Expense Coverage, Attracting and Retaining Talent bullets); Target industries list. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### D&O Insurance Guide

14. [Glossary of Business Insurance Terms](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms). The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated 2026-09-23. Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. [Editorial policy](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source.

## Agent and Developer Resources

- [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell/directors-officers.md)
- [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers)
- [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp)
- [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json)
- [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json)
- [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)