Amelia Risk vs 
Marsh: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?
Marsh brokers D&O for public, private, and nonprofit companies and explains coverage for directors, company reimbursements, and entity claims; Amelia Risk focuses its D&O guidance on startups, technology companies, and financing stages.
Amelia Risk is a startup broker that times D&O to your seed or Series A round, when term sheets usually require it. Marsh places D&O for public, private and nonprofit companies, with its MMA arm serving the middle market, and flags securities suits and ESG scrutiny. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
What Are the Key Differences Between Amelia Risk and Marsh D&O Insurance?
Startup Funding Rounds vs Public-Company Securities Risk
Amelia Risk's co-founder advises budgeting two to three weeks for underwriting and not waiting until a round is about to close, because a claims-made policy won't cover decisions made before it starts. Marsh frames D&O by company type: public companies mainly face shareholder and regulator securities suits, while private and nonprofit organizations more often face employment-practices claims. Choose Amelia Risk if you're a startup, tech, CPG or consumer-products company buying your first D&O policy around a raise; choose Marsh if you're public, heading to an IPO, or a middle-market company that wants a large-broker practice. 2 3 7 8
ESG and Broad Insured Definitions
Marsh warns that ESG scrutiny — emissions, labor practices, board diversity, executive pay — adds regulatory and litigation pressure on directors, which matters most if you have public shareholders. Amelia Risk's co-founder points to a different detail: the policies she has sold define "directors and officers" broadly enough to include employees and interns. 7 2
Neither firm publishes D&O limits or prices. 7 1
What Should You Confirm in Amelia Risk and Marsh D&O Insurance Quotes?
- Ask Amelia Risk for a bind date that lands before your round closes. 2
- If ESG topics are live for your board, ask Marsh how the proposed wording handles those claims. 7
- Ask Marsh whether MMA or its main practice would handle your placement. 8
- Ask both which insurer would issue the policy; neither names one. 1 7
Amelia Risk vs Marsh D&O Insurance Compared
Amelia Risk vs Marsh: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Amelia Risk Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Brokerage | Marsh Directors and Officers Liability (D&O) Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Who It’s For | Amelia Risk lists D&O among the policies it places for startups, technology companies, CPG brands, and consumer-product companies. 3,4,5,6Company-reported. Specialty pages' "policies to consider" lists, marketed segments rather than an underwriting appetite statement. 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. 1,2Company-reported. D&O product page timing guidance, restated in more detail by co-founder Danielle Holyoake in the company's podcast episode. | Marsh says public company directors and officers typically face more securities-lawsuit exposure from shareholders and regulators, while private and non-profit organizations more often face employment-practices claims from customers, vendors or regulators; directors and officers of all organization types can face cyber-related liability exposure. 7Company-reported. Marsh D&O page, common risks FAQ. |
| 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. 1Company-reported. D&O product page description; the actual policy wording, definitions, and exclusions depend on the issuing insurer and the client's declarations. 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. 2Company-reported. Her description of policies she has personally reviewed and sold, not a specimen form or a statement about every D&O policy Amelia places. | Marsh says D&O insurance typically has three coverage sides: Side A protects directors' and officers' personal assets when the organization cannot or will not indemnify them; Side B reimburses the organization for indemnifying directors and officers; Side C offers balance-sheet protection when the entity itself is named, generally limited to securities claims for public companies. 7Company-reported. Marsh D&O page FAQ; illustrative policy structure, not a specific policy form. Marsh says ESG-related stakeholder scrutiny, covering areas such as carbon emissions, renewable-energy use, labor practices, board diversity and executive compensation, can add regulatory, legislative or litigation pressure on directors and officers beyond traditional D&O exposures. 7Company-reported. Marsh D&O page, What other risks do directors and officers face? section. |
| 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. 1Company-reported. D&O product page as of 23 September 2026. Does not establish who issues a particular client's policy. | Marsh's financial and professional liability practice places D&O insurance for public, private and non-profit companies; MMA also places D&O coverage within its executive and professional liability practice for middle-market clients. 7,8Company-reported. Marsh D&O page and MMA executive and professional liability page. |
