Niveton International director Sebastian Higham tells Investment International how the firm’s adviser-first model is driving growth across Latin America, why Mexico remains a key market and how continuity is shaping its next chapter.
The fifth annual Investment International Latin America Forum takes place at the JW Marriott Polanco in Mexico City on Thursday 10 September 2026.
Ahead of the event, Dan Charles, Head of Digital at Investment International and International Adviser, sat down with Sebastian Higham, Director at Niveton International, to discuss the firm’s growth, its ambitions across Latin America and the importance of building long-term relationships with brokers and advisers.
An adviser-first financial services platform
Headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, Niveton International is a financial services platform supporting brokers and advisers across Latin America, with a presence stretching from Mexico to Chile and Argentina.
Rather than working directly with end clients, Niveton focuses on developing relationships with independent advisers, brokers and advisory firms.
“Our broker-advisers are our clients,” Higham explained. “We build direct relationships with insurance and financial services companies and distribute their products through our network of independent advisers.”
The business operates across four principal areas: investment and savings products, life insurance, health insurance and disability-related solutions.
“We focus on building long-term relationships with advisers and giving them the back-office and commercial support they need,” Higham said. “The objective is to add genuine value to their organisations and help them develop their businesses.”
Strong growth and investment in the future
Niveton has recorded significant growth during 2026. Higham said its investment and savings business had grown by approximately 30% year on year, while its health insurance division had expanded by around 50%. Life insurance activity has remained broadly in line with the previous year.
However, he stressed that the company’s progress cannot be measured by headline figures alone.
“Beyond the numbers, it has been a year of change,” he said. “We have completed a great deal of short and medium-term planning and invested significantly in technology.”
During the past 12 months, Niveton has also recruited several senior executives to help the company form new partnerships while continuing to support its established relationships.
The firm is exploring additional lines of business, including corporate solutions, as it works towards becoming one of the leading reference points for financial services across the region.
Niveton will also hold its annual sales convention for its leading producers in Bariloche, Argentina, in November, with planning for its subsequent convention already under way.
“We are always looking for new partnerships and opportunities, but we are equally focused on strengthening our existing relationships,” Higham said. “Everything we introduce needs to add something meaningful to our overall value proposition.”
An organic approach to regional expansion
Latin America is not simply one part of Niveton’s international strategy; it is the company’s core market.
Brazil is currently its largest territory, with Mexico also ranking among its most important markets. Niveton has experienced particularly strong growth in Ecuador during the past two years and maintains established relationships across Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Peru.
Its long-term ambition is to operate throughout Latin America, although Higham said its expansion will remain measured and relationship-led.
“We have an organic growth strategy,” he explained. “We are not looking for a sudden ‘big bang’ push into an entirely new region. Our priority is to deepen our presence in the markets where we already operate.”
Many of Niveton’s principal markets are large economies with substantial capacity for further growth. The firm therefore intends to build on the relationships and infrastructure it has already established.
Looking ahead, Higham identified Argentina, Chile and Colombia as three markets in which Niveton is particularly keen to accelerate its development.
“We already have relationships in those countries and see considerable potential to grow them,” he said. “There will probably be a lot of travelling in the near future.”
Why Mexico stands apart
Mexico holds both strategic and personal importance for Higham.
He has travelled regularly to the country since 2019, when Niveton began placing a greater emphasis on developing the market. The company subsequently established a brokerage operation in Mexico, enabling it to conduct local business alongside its existing international activities.
“I am particularly fond of Mexico and have always been treated extremely well there,” Higham said. “We have built strong relationships with key market participants, and we intend to continue developing them.”
Scale is one of the characteristics that sets Mexico apart. With a population of approximately 130 million, an economy ranked among the world’s 15 largest and Latin America’s second-largest stock market, the country presents considerable opportunities for financial services businesses.
Despite that scale, Higham believes substantial parts of the market remain underserved.
Mexico’s close economic and cultural relationship with the US also distinguishes it from many other Latin American countries.
“That proximity can make it easier for clients to understand the importance of diversifying their portfolios and protecting part of their wealth through exposure to a stronger currency,” he said.
However, proximity to the US also attracts greater competition, with a large number of international providers seeking to establish or expand their Mexican businesses.
“There is certainly competition because many providers want to operate in Mexico, and we do not represent all of them,” Higham said. “Nevertheless, the size of the opportunity remains significant.”
He also pointed to the volume of privately held wealth sitting outside Mexico’s traditional banking system. This can create opportunities for international platforms, provided the source of funds is legitimate, transparent and fully documented.
“Mexico has its own distinct characteristics, as every Latin American country does,” he added. “I personally enjoy spending time there, and it is a market we will continue visiting and investing in.”
Continuity as a foundation for growth
Niveton was founded by Alex Higham more than 30 years ago and has built its business around long-term relationships, personal service and continuity.
Sebastian Higham said he is proud to work alongside Alex and to contribute to the company’s continued development.
“I am genuinely proud of what Alex has built with Niveton and proud to be part of it,” he said. “He has been extremely generous in sharing his knowledge and experience with me, while also giving me the space to introduce my own ideas, style and approach to execution.”
Higham believes Niveton’s family-led continuity is particularly important in an industry where trust is often placed in individuals as much as in the products or companies they represent.
“The brokerage industry is fundamentally a people business,” he said. “Brokers and clients buy into the people behind an organisation. Our responsibility is to select the companies and products we represent wisely and diligently.”
This becomes even more important when advisers are recommending long-term savings, investment and insurance solutions.
“For brokers and clients, seeing that the business continues to operate with the same culture and values it has demonstrated for the past 30 years is extremely important,” Higham said.
“We are not here for improvisation or short-term adventures. Alex and I share the same culture and values—the principles that originally earned the trust of our brokers and clients remain in place today.”
For Higham, that continuity does not prevent innovation. Instead, it provides a stable foundation from which Niveton can invest in technology, enter new business areas and develop relationships across additional markets.
“Continuity protects the relationships we already have and gives us a solid base from which to introduce new ventures and new partners,” he concluded. “It has been a very positive journey, and I hope we will continue working and growing together for many years to come.”
Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/tFMZmNzbtYE
