Cowbell vs Embroker Management Liability Insurance

Cowbell is the distribution platform, not the insurer: it gives Zurich-appointed E&S wholesalers API access to Zurich's Select Plus management liability product, a modular suite Zurich already sells to larger companies, sized down for small and midsize private businesses. Zurich's own page confirms Select Plus is 'Zurich Insurance, in collaboration with Cowbell,' offered as a 'proprietary form,' with identical FAQ wording to Cowbell's page. ^4,3Company-reported. Cowbell intro paragraph and FAQ; Zurich intro and 'Delivering speed from quoting to policy issuance' section.

Embroker designed EMIS as its own bundled management liability product, sold either as a bundle or as individual coverages, and distributes it directly to founders and finance leaders as well as through its broker network via Embroker Access. ⁸Company-reported. August 2026 launch announcement; company description of the product structure.

Both Cowbell and Zurich say the product is offered on Zurich admitted paper and backed by 'the reputable Zurich Claims service.' Neither page names the specific underwriting Zurich subsidiary or policy-issuing entity; Zurich's site footer copyright reads 'Zurich American Insurance Company,' but that is a general site-wide notice, not a stated policy-issuer confirmation for Select Plus specifically. ^4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.

Embroker names Everspan Indemnity Insurance Company (AM Best: A- Excellent) as the underwriter of EMIS, backed by what Embroker describes as a coalition of A-rated reinsurers it does not name. ⁸Company-reported. Launch announcement's 'About Embroker' section; this is a company statement, not an independently verified filing or program agreement.

Cowbell says the product targets SME private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, and lists target industries including specialty chemicals, technology, energy/utilities, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, retail, and integrated freight & logistics. ⁴Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and 'Target industries' list.

Embroker says EMIS is open to a broader set of private companies than its two prior management liability products, extending beyond technology into professional services, manufacturing, construction and wholesale trade, and covering companies from pre-revenue startups to established businesses. ⁸Company-reported. Launch announcement 'What's changing' section; the Tech E&O/Cyber component of the bundle is limited to eligible technology companies.

Zurich's own page names the four Select Plus modules as 'Private Management and Company Liability,' 'Employment Practices and Third-Party Discrimination Liability,' 'Fiduciary Liability,' and 'Crime Insurance' -- broader labels than the plain 'D&O' and 'EPL' shorthand Cowbell's FAQ uses -- and says a buyer can combine up to four of these modules into one policy. ³Company-reported. Zurich page 'Protect your small to midsize business with Zurich's Select Plus Management Liability solutions' section.

Cowbell describes management liability as a modular umbrella covering four lines within the Select Plus product: private company D&O, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and crime, each addressing a different category of management or employee risk. ⁴Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.

Embroker bundles four coverages into one EMIS application: directors and officers liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and technology errors and omissions/cyber liability for eligible technology companies, and lets buyers select individual coverages or the full bundle. ⁸Company-reported. Launch announcement coverage list; the issued policy and declarations control, and this is the bundle structure, not standalone-line policy wording.

Embroker says EMIS replaces its two previous management liability products for new business; existing policyholders on the legacy products are not required to switch and can keep renewing them, but the legacy products are no longer sold to new customers. ⁸Company-reported. Launch announcement transition rules as of the announcement date; not a renewal guarantee for any individual policyholder.

Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page publishes limit or retention amounts for the modules; both were read in full and neither discloses a figure. ^4,3Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Cowbell says the product is backed by Zurich's claims service, and frames the offering's advantage as faster quoting and issuance through Cowbell's technology platform compared with Zurich's standard process, rather than describing separate risk-control services. ⁴Company-reported. Page intro and FAQ 'What makes the Zurich Select Plus offering through Cowbell unique?'.

Not described in the reviewed sources.

Access is limited to appointed wholesalers of Zurich Excess & Surplus (E&S): a wholesaler already appointed by Zurich E&S can reach the product through the Cowbell platform via API, and is directed to contact a Cowbell or Zurich representative to set that up. The product is not sold directly to businesses. ⁴Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.

Embroker says EMIS uses a single digital application and underwriting flow covering all four bundled coverages, replacing a multi-application process it says previously took days or weeks, and that applicants may get an underwriting response in the same session. ⁸Company-reported. Launch announcement description of the application flow; no application was submitted during this research, and actual turnaround depends on the specific submission.

Cowbell says the most common management liability claims fall under employment practices liability, citing discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and retaliation as the most frequent claim types. ⁴Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the most common management liability claim?'; describes claim frequency, not Cowbell's own claims-handling process.

Not described in the reviewed sources.