---
title: "Founder Shield vs Marsh D&O Insurance"
description: "Founder Shield vets its D&O carriers with an AM Best floor; Marsh instead calls out ESG-related governance scrutiny as an emerging risk category."
canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/directors-officers"
page-type: "line-comparison"
updated-at: "2026-09-23"
---

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# Founder Shield vs Marsh D&O Insurance

Founder Shield vets its D&O carriers with an AM Best floor; Marsh instead calls out ESG-related governance scrutiny as an emerging risk category.

## Research Scope and Use

Use this comparison to evaluate Founder Shield and Marsh 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

Founder Shield says it places D&O only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, while Marsh names ESG-related stakeholder scrutiny, covering board diversity and executive compensation, as an added pressure on directors and officers that its filter-based approach doesn't address. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)")

## What Is Founder Shield Insurance?

Founder Shield is a commercial insurance broker for venture-backed and growing businesses. Buyers can request coverage through its online portal and work with advisors on insurer selection, policy changes and claims reporting. [1](https://foundershield.com/ "Founder Shield") [2](https://apx.foundershield.com/ "Quote Portal") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [4](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/ "What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?") [5](https://foundershield.com/claims/ "Claims")

[Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield)

## What Is Marsh?

Marsh is a global insurance broker and risk advisor. In the United States it places coverage through core Marsh teams and through Marsh McLennan Agency for many middle-market buyers, including technology, cyber, property, casualty and benefits programs. [8](https://www.marsh.com/en/home.html "Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments") [9](https://www.marsh.com/content/dam/marsh/Documents/PDF/US-en/us-client-compensation-guide.pdf "Compensation guide for US clients") [10](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/marsh-mclennan-agency.html "Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA)") [11](https://www.marsh.com/en/industries/technology.html "Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management")

[Marsh profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/marsh)

## What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

Directors and officers liability insurance addresses covered claims alleging wrongful acts in managing an organization. [14](https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/glossary-of-business-insurance-terms "Glossary of Business Insurance Terms")

## Key Differences in D&O Insurance

### A Carrier Filter Versus a Risk Category

Founder Shield publishes a specific underwriting filter it applies before approaching any carrier. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") Marsh instead names a specific pressure it says can add to traditional D&O exposures:

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. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Marsh D&O page, What other risks do directors and officers face? section..)

One page tells you how the broker screens its markets; the other tells you what's increasingly showing up in claims against directors.

### Who Each Side Names as the Buyer

Founder Shield names businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors as a target buyer, alongside public/private and venture-backed companies. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") Marsh instead splits eligibility by organization type, saying public companies more often face securities suits and private or nonprofit companies more often face employment-practices claims. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)")

### Published Limits, or the Lack of Them

Neither broker states a specific D&O limit for your company. Founder Shield cites only a general market description of $5-10 million in combined coverage without naming its own minimum or maximum. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") Marsh's D&O page similarly explains coverage sides and risk categories without publishing a limit range. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)")

## What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

- Ask Founder Shield for the specific carrier selected and its current AM Best rating at binding. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?")
- Ask Marsh which entity issues the policy; the reviewed pages describe the practice but not an insurer. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)")
- Confirm actual limits with both brokers directly, since neither publishes a company-specific figure. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)")
- If board diversity or executive-pay scrutiny is a concern for your company, ask Marsh how that factors into the placement, since Founder Shield's page doesn't address it. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)")

## Offering Details

| Criteria | Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance | Marsh Directors and Officers Liability (D&O) Insurance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Role in This Line | Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. [7](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line..) | 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. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)") [13](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/executive-and-professional-liability.html "Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Marsh D&O page and MMA executive and professional liability page..) |
| Issuing Insurer | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements..) | The reviewed pages do not name a specific D&O insurer. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)") [13](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/executive-and-professional-liability.html "Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance") (Evidence: Not publicly disclosed; scope: Marsh D&O page and MMA executive and professional liability page as read on 2026-09-23..) |
| Who It’s For | Founder Shield targets D&O at public and private businesses, venture-backed companies (it says almost every institutional term sheet requires the coverage), and businesses owing more than $1 million to creditors. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Directors & Officers Insurance product page..) | 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. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Marsh D&O page, common risks FAQ..) |
| Coverage Features | Founder Shield describes a three-part structure: Side A pays individual directors/officers directly when the company cannot or will not indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnification it pays, and Side C provides entity coverage for the company itself. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage..) | 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. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Marsh D&O page FAQ; illustrative policy structure, not a specific policy form..)<br><br>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. [12](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html "Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Marsh D&O page, What other risks do directors and officers face? section..) |
| Limits and Retentions | Founder Shield's page describes a typical market base layer of $5 million to $10 million in combined A-B-C coverage, but does not publish a specific limit Founder Shield itself offers; actual limits are set on the quote. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/ "Directors & Officers Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General market description on the product page, not a stated Founder Shield minimum or maximum..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | You request Founder Shield Directors & Officers Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. [7](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form..) | Not described in the reviewed sources. |

## Full Comparison

- [Founder Shield vs Marsh](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh): 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.
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Commercial Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/commercial-property)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Crime Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/crime)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Cyber Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/cyber)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Employee Health Benefits](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/employee-health-benefits)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Employment Practices Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/employment-practices)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Fidelity Bonds](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/fidelity-bonds)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Fiduciary Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/fiduciary)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Intellectual Property Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/intellectual-property)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Media Liability Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/media)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/professional-errors-omissions)
- [Founder Shield vs Marsh Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-marsh/workers-compensation)
- [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/directors-officers)
- [Alliance Risk vs Marsh D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-marsh/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-foundershield/directors-officers)
- [Amelia Risk vs Marsh D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/amelia-risk-vs-marsh/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs Founder Shield D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-foundershield/directors-officers)
- [Beazley vs Marsh D&O Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/beazley-vs-marsh/directors-officers)

## Sources

### Founder Shield

1. [Founder Shield](https://foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
2. [Quote Portal](https://apx.foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Public landing screen, Create Account and Sign In links. Accessed 2026-09-15.
3. [How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/). Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23.
4. [What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/). Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
5. [Claims](https://foundershield.com/claims/). Founder Shield; Our Approach; How We Support Claims Management, steps 1–5; Make a claim link. Accessed 2026-09-15.
6. [Directors & Officers Insurance](https://foundershield.com/coverage/directors-and-officers-insurance/). Founder Shield; What Is D&O Insurance; Who Needs D&O Insurance Coverage; What Does D&O Insurance Cover?. Accessed 2026-09-23.
7. [About Us](https://foundershield.com/about-us/). Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### Marsh

8. [Marsh | Leader in risk, strategy, people, and investments](https://www.marsh.com/en/home.html). Marsh; Hero and capability tiles; FAQ: What does Marsh do?; industries served; Is Marsh the same as Marsh McLennan? January 2026 brand change. Accessed 2026-09-16.
9. [Compensation guide for US clients](https://www.marsh.com/content/dam/marsh/Documents/PDF/US-en/us-client-compensation-guide.pdf). Marsh; US broking segments; broker role; retail commissions, client fees, wholesale, insurer consulting, contingent and supplemental commissions; Marsh LLC and Marsh USA LLC; page 3: broker role and Marsh & McLennan Agency segment; page 7: copyright © 2024 Marsh LLC. Accessed 2026-09-16.
10. [Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA)](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/marsh-mclennan-agency.html). Marsh; Middle-market US organizations; wholly-owned subsidiary; business insurance, employee health and benefits, retirement, private client. Accessed 2026-09-16.
11. [Technology | Insurance Broking & Risk Management](https://www.marsh.com/en/industries/technology.html). Marsh; Opening Technology Practice description; practice links including data center insurance, fintech and Stratus; Talk to us. Accessed 2026-09-16.
12. [Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)](https://www.marsh.com/en/services/financial-professional-liability/expertise/directors-and-officers-liability.html). Marsh; Opening positioning for public, private and non-profit companies; FAQs: What are the most common risks for directors and officers?; What does D&O insurance cover? (Side A, B, C); What other risks do directors and officers face?; Ruth Kochenderfer, D&O Product Leader. Accessed 2026-09-23.
13. [Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance](https://www.marshmma.com/us/solutions/executive-and-professional-liability.html). Marsh McLennan Agency; Directors and Officers subsection: covers costs from claims for alleged wrongful acts, including defense costs for civil, criminal and regulatory investigations. Accessed 2026-09-23.

### D&O Insurance Guide

14. [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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