---
title: "Amelia Risk vs Gallagher D&O Insurance"
description: "Amelia Risk places D&O for startups and CPG; Gallagher’s Executive and Financial Risk practice markets SPAC and IPO D&O with in-house claims attorneys."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Amelia Risk vs Gallagher D&O Insurance

Amelia Risk places D&O for startups and CPG; Gallagher’s Executive and Financial Risk practice markets SPAC and IPO D&O with in-house claims attorneys.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Amelia Risk and Gallagher 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, technology and consumer-product companies around funding events, while Gallagher’s Executive and Financial Risk practice places D&O and specifically markets program design for SPACs around IPO and de-SPAC, with a dedicated claims-advocacy team of in-house attorneys. [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") [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") [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance")

## 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 Gallagher?

Gallagher is a business-insurance broker and risk-management consultancy. Its technology practice serves startups through global enterprises, alongside a separate small-business offering for IT professionals and an executive-risk practice covering D&O and transaction-related coverages. Woodruff Sawyer is now part of Gallagher. [10](https://www.ajg.com/industries/technology-insurance/ "Technology Insurance") [11](https://www.gallaghersmallbusiness.com/technology-services/ "Insurance for Technology & IT Businesses") [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") [13](https://www.gallaghersmallbusiness.com/legal-information/ "Legal Information") [14](https://www.ajg.com/merger-partners/woodruff-sawyer-is-now-gallagher/ "Woodruff Sawyer Is Now Gallagher")

[Gallagher profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/gallagher)

## What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. [15](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms "Glossary of Business Insurance Terms")

## Key Differences in D&O Insurance

### Segments Each Practice Names

Amelia Risk and Gallagher both place D&O rather than underwrite it. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") Amelia Risk lists the line for startups, technology companies, CPG brands and consumer-product companies, timed to outside funding. [6](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/startups/ "Insurance For Startups") [8](https://ameliarisk.com/specialties/cpg/ "Insurance For CPG Companies")

Gallagher markets D&O placement to SPACs around IPO and de-SPAC, and to companies going public through an IPO or direct listing. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") For those events, Gallagher describes bundling pre- and post-IPO D&O with related lines such as representations and warranties. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") Amelia Risk’s reviewed sources do not describe a SPAC or de-SPAC D&O program. [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

### Claims Advocacy

Gallagher’s Executive and Financial Risk practice names a dedicated claims-advocacy team with in-house attorneys, and says it uses quantitative benchmarking including judicial climate. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") Amelia Risk’s reviewed sources do not describe a dedicated in-house attorney claims team beyond 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")

### Insurer and Limits

Neither Amelia Risk nor Gallagher names the insurer that would issue a given D&O policy. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability") Gallagher says it weighs carrier qualifications and performance data; Amelia Risk’s reviewed sources do not describe that carrier-scoring step. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

Neither Amelia Risk nor Gallagher publishes D&O limits in the reviewed sources. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

## What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

- If you are a SPAC or IPO candidate, ask Gallagher how pre- and post-IPO D&O would be bundled with related lines. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance")

- Ask how Gallagher’s claims-advocacy attorneys would sit on a claim versus Amelia Risk’s general advocacy language. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

- Get the issuing insurer from both. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") [4](https://ameliarisk.com/insurance-policies/directors-and-officers/ "Directors and Officers Liability")

- Confirm limits on the quote; neither firm posts them in the reviewed sources. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Amelia Risk Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Brokerage | Gallagher Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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..) | Gallagher's Executive and Financial Risk practice places D&O liability insurance and advises on program design; it does not underwrite the policy, which is issued by a carrier selected during placement. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page..) |
| 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..) | The executive-and-financial-risk page does not name the insurer that would issue a given client's D&O policy; it says Gallagher weighs carrier qualifications and performance data alongside a client's own insurer history and preferences when deciding which carriers to approach. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page..) |
| 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..) | Gallagher specifically markets D&O placement and advisory support to special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) around their IPO and de-SPAC process, and to companies going public through an IPO or direct listing. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page, SPAC and IPO subsections..) |
| 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..) | Gallagher says its D&O team constructs policies addressing lawsuits from shareholders, employees, competitors, suppliers and government bodies, and can evaluate an existing D&O program against the market. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page; a service description, not a specific policy's insuring agreement..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The executive-and-financial-risk page does not publish D&O limits, retentions or premium ranges. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Checked the group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page..) |
| 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..) | For SPACs and IPOs, Gallagher describes bundling D&O coverage before and after the IPO with related lines such as representations and warranties, E&O, cyber, tax and contingent liability coverage, plus risk-management and claims support at each stage. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice page, SPAC subsection..) |
| 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..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Claims Support | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Gallagher says its Executive and Financial Risk practice has a dedicated claims-advocacy team with in-house attorneys specializing in these lines, and that it uses quantitative benchmarking, including measuring the judicious use of Side-A-only D&O coverage, to guide more precise coverage structures. [12](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/ "Executive and Financial Risk Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Group-level executive-and-financial-risk practice summary; describes a support service, not a guarantee of claim payment..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher): 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 Gallagher Business Owner’s Policy](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/business-owners-policy)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/cyber)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/employment-practices)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher General Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/general-liability)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher Product Recall Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/product-recall)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/umbrella-excess)
- [Amelia Risk vs Gallagher Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-gallagher/workers-compensation)
- [Alliance Risk vs Amelia Risk D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-amelia-risk/directors-officers)
- [Alliance Risk vs Gallagher D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-gallagher/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.

### Gallagher

10. [Technology Insurance](https://www.ajg.com/industries/technology-insurance/). Gallagher; Introduction; Solutions and coverages for the technology industry: Technology errors and omissions including cyber, Intellectual property insurance, Product liability, Employee benefits; Data-driven insights; global network. Accessed 2026-09-16.
11. [Insurance for Technology & IT Businesses](https://www.gallaghersmallbusiness.com/technology-services/). Gallagher Small Business; Protection for IT Professionals & Their Technology-Based Businesses; recommended coverage menu, including Surety Bond Programs; Connect With An Advisor. Accessed 2026-09-16.
12. [Executive and Financial Risk Insurance](https://www.ajg.com/insurance/executive-and-financial-risk-insurance/). Gallagher; Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability insurance section; Special-Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) section; IPO and direct listings section; Executive and Financial Risk Practice Summary. Accessed 2026-09-23.
13. [Legal Information](https://www.gallaghersmallbusiness.com/legal-information/). Gallagher Small Business; Producer identification immediately above Quick Links. Accessed 2026-09-16.
14. [Woodruff Sawyer Is Now Gallagher](https://www.ajg.com/merger-partners/woodruff-sawyer-is-now-gallagher/). Gallagher; Opening; Executive and Financial Risk consulting; Continued access to client portals; contact form. Accessed 2026-09-16.

### D&O Insurance Guide

15. [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.

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