US insurance broker Gallagher has acquired Oslo-based marine and energy broker Parisco as it seeks to increase its client base in Northern Europe.

Following the takeover, Parisco chief executive Dag Magne Torjussen and his team of 10 will join with Gallagher’s Oslo-based marine and energy insurance outfit Bergvall Marine, which is headed by managing director Anders Mjaaland.

Vyvienne Wade, Gallagher's chairwoman for Europe, the Middle East and Asia, said the move would help develop its ambitious global expansion plans.

“Parisco is a respected specialist marine and energy broker and is an excellent fit with both Bergvall and Gallagher,” she said.

“Its portfolio of specialisms are highly complementary to Bergvall’s existing business lines, and provides us with additional scale in the Nordic region.”

Wade identified sustainable energy and renewables as potential growth areas for Gallagher’s client base across Northern Europe.

Parisco was established in 2001 and its main business is with offshore contractors, offshore service vessels, exploration and production companies, shipping companies and renewable energy clients.

Bergvall’s Mjaaland said: “As a combined operation we will have extra firepower to deliver on our ambitious future plans and I look forward to working with Dag Magne and the wider team as we bring the two businesses together.”

Parisco’s Torjussen said that partnering with Bergvall, and becoming part of a global insurance brokerage, will allow his company to take the next step in its evolution.