---
title: "Cowbell vs HUB International D&O Insurance"
description: "Cowbell’s D&O is a Zurich Select Plus module for E&S wholesalers; HUB brokers D&O through its ProEx practice with a Claims & Legal Risks Group."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Cowbell vs HUB International D&O Insurance

Cowbell’s D&O is a Zurich Select Plus module for E&S wholesalers; HUB brokers D&O through its ProEx practice with a Claims & Legal Risks Group.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Cowbell and HUB International 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

Cowbell distributes Zurich-underwritten private-company D&O only through appointed E&S wholesalers. HUB’s ProEx practice brokers D&O for private, nonprofit and public clients and staffs a Claims & Legal Risks Group of attorneys from pre-claim wording review through recovery. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx")

## 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. [1](https://cowbell.insure/ "Cowbell") [2](https://cowbell.insure/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/CB-US-PrimeTech-Overview-1.pdf "Prime Tech Product Overview") [3](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 HUB International?

HUB International is a North American insurance brokerage that arranges business insurance, employee benefits and related risk services through local offices and specialist practices. Smaller commercial accounts may be sent to Insureon for an online quote; other programs are handled by HUB advisors, with policy terms set by the insurers they use. [5](https://www.hubinternational.com/about-us/ "About Us") [6](https://www.hubinternational.com/contact-us/ "Contact Us") [7](https://www.hubinternational.com/industries/technology-company-insurance/ "Insurance for Technology Companies")

[HUB International profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/hub-international)

## What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. [10](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms "Glossary of Business Insurance Terms")

## Key Differences in D&O Insurance

### Underwritten Module Versus ProEx Brokerage

Cowbell’s Private Company D&O is a Zurich Select Plus module Zurich underwrites; Cowbell’s role is platform access for appointed E&S wholesalers. HUB brokers D&O through its ProEx Professional & Executive Risk practice and does not underwrite the policy. One offering is a named Zurich product; the other is a placement through a named executive-risk practice. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus") [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx")

### Three Client Segments Versus an SME Headcount Gate

HUB markets D&O brokerage to private companies with customer and supplier relationships, nonprofits with advisory boards or committees, and public companies with shareholders. Cowbell’s module is aimed at private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets in industries such as technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and retail, so public-company and nonprofit boards sit outside that stated target. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

### Attorney Claims Support Versus Talent-Retention Framing

HUB’s ProEx practice describes analytics, litigation support and risk-management services, plus a Claims & Legal Risks Group of attorneys that works from pre-claim policy-wording review through claim recovery. Cowbell’s reviewed pages instead frame D&O as a way to attract and retain directors by covering legal fees, settlements and defense costs, without describing a dedicated D&O attorney claims group. HUB sends prospects to “Connect With a Broker”; Cowbell’s module is wholesaler-API only. [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

## What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

- Ask HUB which carrier would issue the policy; ProEx cites premium volume with unnamed “top-rated” insurers. [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx")
- Confirm whether Cowbell’s employee and asset screens match your company. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")
- Ask how HUB’s Claims & Legal Risks Group would handle a D&O notice compared with Zurich’s claims path on a Select Plus module. [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") [3](https://www.zurichna.com/insurance/excess-and-surplus/small-business-management-liability "Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus")
- Get limits and retentions from both; neither reviewed set of pages publishes them. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company D&O | HUB International Directors and Officers Insurance Brokerage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | 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.' [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](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..) | HUB brokers D&O liability coverage for private, nonprofit and public-company clients as part of its ProEx Professional & Executive Risk practice, rather than underwriting the policy itself. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O product page and ProEx coverage list, read 2026-09-23. Neither page names an issuing insurer..) |
| Issuing Insurer | 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. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](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..) | The D&O product page and the ProEx coverage list do not name an issuing insurer for D&O policies; HUB says ProEx places over $2 billion in premium with insurers it calls top-rated carriers, without naming them. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") (Evidence: Not found in reviewed sources; scope: Checked both pages on 2026-09-23; the carrier for a specific D&O placement depends on the quote..) |
| Who It’s For | 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. [4](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..) | HUB markets D&O brokerage to three segments: private companies with customer and supplier relationships, nonprofits with advisory boards or committees, and public companies with shareholders. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O product page target-market description; not an underwriting appetite statement..) |
| Coverage Features | 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. [4](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?'..) | HUB describes D&O coverage it arranges as addressing three areas: personal asset protection for monetary judgments and settlements from an alleged breach of duty, loyalty or care; defense in civil, criminal, judicial, administrative, regulatory or arbitration proceedings; and workplace and employment protection for breach-of-fiduciary-duty and employment-related suits. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product-page marketing description; the issued policy's insuring agreements, conditions and exclusions control an actual claim..)<br><br>HUB says D&O claims it sees can come from regulators, donors, clients or customers, suppliers, competitors, employees, shareholders and creditors. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product-page list of potential claim sources; not a guarantee of coverage for any specific claimant..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes D&O limit or retention amounts. [4](https://cowbell.insure/mgmt-liability/ "Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises") [3](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..) | Published D&O policy limits or retentions were not found on the reviewed pages. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Checked the D&O product page and ProEx page on 2026-09-23; limits are set on the quote and declarations..) |
| Risk Services | 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. [4](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?'..) | HUB says its ProEx practice, which lists D&O among its Executive Liability coverages, provides analytics, litigation support and risk-management services to clients of all sizes, led by a named ProEx practice leader. [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: ProEx page team and services description; not specific to a single D&O engagement..) |
| How to Apply | 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. [4](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?'..) | HUB directs D&O prospects to "Connect With a Broker" rather than an online quote or bind flow. [8](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: D&O product page call to action..) |
| Claims Support | Not described in the reviewed sources. | HUB describes a Claims & Legal Risks Group, staffed by attorneys who specialize in ProEx coverages including D&O, that provides management-liability claims support from pre-claim policy-wording review through claim recovery. [9](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/ "HUB ProEx") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: ProEx page claims and legal support section..) |

## Full Comparison

- [Cowbell vs HUB International](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international): 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.
- [Cowbell vs HUB International Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/crime)
- [Cowbell vs HUB International Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/cyber)
- [Cowbell vs HUB International Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/employment-practices)
- [Cowbell vs HUB International Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/fiduciary)
- [Cowbell vs HUB International Management Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/management-liability)
- [Cowbell vs HUB International Tech E&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/cowbell-vs-hub-international/technology-errors-omissions)
- [Alliance Risk vs Cowbell D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-cowbell/directors-officers)
- [Alliance Risk vs HUB International D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-hub-international/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Cowbell D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-cowbell/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs HUB International D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-hub-international/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs Cowbell D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-cowbell/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs HUB International D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-hub-international/directors-officers)

## Sources

### Cowbell

1. [Cowbell](https://cowbell.insure/). Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
2. [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.
3. [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.
4. [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.

### HUB International

5. [About Us](https://www.hubinternational.com/about-us/). HUB International; Opening description; 1998 formation of HUB International Limited; 2022 Insureon acquisition; headquarters and employee/office counts. Accessed 2026-09-16.
6. [Contact Us](https://www.hubinternational.com/contact-us/). HUB International; Business Solutions paths for Commercial Insurance Solutions versus Small Commercial Insurance Solutions via Insureon; office search. Accessed 2026-09-16.
7. [Insurance for Technology Companies](https://www.hubinternational.com/industries/technology-company-insurance/). HUB International; Technology Company Insurance & Risk Management: startup, software, hardware and digital-media introduction; Business Coverage and People Protection lists; technology-client count. Accessed 2026-09-16.
8. [Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/directors-and-officers-insurance/). HUB International; Target segments: private companies, nonprofit organizations, public companies; Personal Asset Protection, Claims Protection, Workplace & Employment Protection; list of potential claimants; 2016 private-company D&O claim statistic; Connect With a Broker call to action. Accessed 2026-09-23.
9. [HUB ProEx](https://www.hubinternational.com/products/business-insurance/employment-practices-liability/). HUB International; ProEx Coverages list including Directors & Officers Liability (D&O) and Side-A Only Excess D&O under Executive Liability; Claims & Legal Support section; ProEx premium volume statement. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### D&O Insurance Guide

10. [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/cowbell-vs-hub-international/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)