Cowbell vs 
Markel Insurance: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?
What Is Cowbell Insurance?
Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 1,2,3
Markel Insurance: Specialty Business and Products
Markel Insurance is Markel Group's specialty and small-business insurance business, with offerings across packages, workers' compensation, cyber, professional and management liability, property, marine, and surety. Products use different insurers and distribution routes, so compare the issuer and terms shown on the specific quote. 5,6
What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?
D&O insurance can help pay covered defense costs and losses from claims against company leaders over management decisions. If your organization has a board or executives, check whether the company itself is insured and whether legal bills reduce the limit. 8,9,10
Key Differences in D&O Insurance
Eligibility and access
Cowbell’s D&O module targets private companies with fewer than 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, including technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. It is accessed by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through Cowbell’s platform, not sold directly to a business. Markel identifies private-company and nonprofit audiences across sectors such as portfolio companies, healthcare, education, and associations, without a published employee or asset cutoff in these claims. The route therefore depends on whether your company meets Cowbell’s thresholds and has a wholesaler connection. 4 4 7
Insurer role and protection described
Zurich underwrites Cowbell’s Select Plus module, which Cowbell describes as protecting company and leadership assets for alleged wrongful acts, including legal fees and settlements. Markel lists D&O within its own private-company and nonprofit offerings and describes defense costs, settlements, and judgments subject to policy terms. Ask who will issue each proposed contract and compare the covered entity and individual protections in the policy language. 4 4 7
What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Cowbell
Review Score
1 rated source
Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]
Read Cowbell reviewsMarkel Insurance
Review Score
2 rated sources
There is little public customer feedback on Markel. Trustpilot shows 2.5 out of 5 from just 5 reviews, and BBB lists 12 complaints closed in the last three years.[4][3]
Read Markel Insurance reviewsOffering Details
Cowbell vs Markel Insurance: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Cowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company D&O | Markel private and nonprofit D&O |
|---|---|---|
| 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.' 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section. | Markel lists directors-and-officers liability within private-company and nonprofit management-liability offerings, as standalone or blended coverage. 7Company-reported. U.S. private/nonprofit product page; exact coverage structure varies by policy. |
| 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. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer. | Confirm in your 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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list. | The page names private equity/portfolio companies, PEOs, hospitality, energy and healthcare among private-sector customer types, plus healthcare, education and associations among nonprofits. 7Company-reported. Examples are not an exhaustive appetite or eligibility list. |
| 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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'. | The page describes D&O protection for organizational leaders against covered claims such as mismanagement, breach of duty or regulatory violations, with defense costs, settlements and judgments subject to policy terms. 7Company-reported. Illustrative marketing description; not policy wording. |
| 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. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23. | Confirm in your quote. |
| 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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?'. | Confirm in your quote. |
| 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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'. | Confirm in your quote. |
Full Comparison
More Cowbell vs Markel Insurance Comparisons
Other D&O Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Cowbell
- Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Prime Tech Product Overview. 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.
- Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus. 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.
- Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises. 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.
Markel Insurance
- About us. Markel; Markel at a glance; description of Markel Insurance within Markel Group Inc. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Markel Group Inc. 2025 Form 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; filed by Markel Group Inc.; Cover page; Part I, Item 1 Business—Markel Insurance, U.S. Wholesale and Specialty, Programs and Solutions; Part II, Item 7/8 for group and segment risks. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Private and Nonprofit Management Liability Insurance. Markel; What we offer; private/nonprofit segment; D&O, EPL, fiduciary and optional coverage sections. Accessed 2026-09-29.
D&O Insurance Guide
- Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- The Chubb Primary Directors & Officers and Entity Securities Liability Insurance. Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; hosted by eperils; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; I and III.A–B pp.1–2; VI Reporting pp.3–4. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Private Company Directors and Officers Liability Coverage. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; Header p.1 and VI.A pp.6–7. Accessed 2026-09-16.
