XL Insurance Builds Out Construction Team in North America

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Group plc (NYSE: XL), announced the continued expansion of its North American Construction team with eight new appointments.

According to Gary Kaplan, Executive Vice President, North America Construction, "As the Construction industry starts to show hints of increased activity, XL Insurance has been doing some building of its own.  We continue to attract top industry talent to build on our expertise and expand our service capabilities to delivering high-quality products with the attention to service that our construction industry clients need and desire."

The newest appointments to XL Insurance's Construction team include:

• Gregory P. McKiernan to Senior Vice President, Construction Primary Casualty located in New York.  Most recently Underwriting Manager of XL's US Risk Management team, Mr. McKiernan joined XL Insurance in 2004.  He now steps into this new underwriting management position, bringing more than 25 years of primary casualty underwriting experience gained in various underwriting positions with Argonaut, Kemper and Cigna/ACE.  
• Edward Totten to Vice President, Construction Excess Casualty in XL's Exton, Pennsylvania and New York office.  Mr. Totten brings considerable large construction account experience most recently as Vice President in the Construction unit of Zurich Insurance Company and previously as Construction Team Leader at AIG.  
• Joseph M. Vierling to Vice President, Construction Property in New York.  Mr. Vierling joins XL Insurance from Ironshore where he served as Vice President, CAR/EAR.  Mr. Vierling adds another 20 years of construction underwriting and engineering experience to XL's Construction team, having held underwriting and management positions with Arch, SwissRe, Kemper and Industrial Risk Insurers.
• Blane Farrell to Executive Underwriter, Primary Casualty in Chicago.  Mr. Farrell joins XL Insurance from Zurich North America where he was Casualty Director for its Construction unit.  Mr. Farrell brings more than 20 years of casualty underwriting experience working on large construction accounts at Zurich, CNA, Kemper and Liberty Mutual.
• Markus Bachmann to Senior Underwriter, Construction Property in New York.  Mr. Bachmann joined XL Insurance's Energy group in June 2010 and now transfers to its Construction team to coordinate contractors' Builder's Risk insurance coverages, bringing more than two decades of Builder's Risk and global underwriting experience gathered during his tenure at Allianz and Zurich in the US as well as positions with Gerling Insurance Group, ABB Insurance, Union Reinsurance and Winterthur Insurance Company in Switzerland.
• Scott Merchant to Construction Risk Engineer Manager in Chicago. Mr. Merchant joins XL Insurance with more than 30 years management experience concerning residential and commercial construction, inspection services and environmental issues.  Previously Zurich North America's Regional Construction Manager, he will oversee XL Insurance's risk engineering services to builders, owners and project managers.
• Patrick Waldron to Construction Claims Manager in Chicago.  Mr. Waldron joins XL Insurance from Zurich Financial Services where he was a Claims Customer Account Executive.  He brings more than 20 years of industry experience with tenure from Zurich, Kemper, The Fireman's Fund and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company to XL Insurance's Construction team.
• Keith Cummings to Construction Actuary in New York.  Mr. Cummings joins XL Insurance's Construction team from Zurich American Insurance Company where he served as a regional actuary.  He brings to XL more than 25 years of actuarial experience including tenure at Milliman USA, Gerling Global Reinsurance Corporation and Reliance National.

"With these appointments and the recent addition of David Hewett and Bill Mills to launch XL Insurance's surety operation, I'm proud to say that we've built a top-notch team of Construction risk management talent," said Mr. Kaplan.  "Contractors have our undivided attention and more direct access to our growing portfolio of Construction coverages and services."

The XL Insurance companies provide surety, property, including Builder's Risk, excess and primary casualty, professional and specialty insurance coverages, such as environmental coverage, to the construction industry.  Coverages are accompanied by loss control and claims management services delivered by teams dedicated to construction risk management.

About XL Insurance

"XL Insurance" is the global brand used by member insurers of XL Group plc (NYSE: XL). More information about XL Insurance is available at www.xlinsurance.com. XL Group plc, through its subsidiaries, is a global insurance and reinsurance company providing property, casualty, and specialty products to industrial, commercial, and professional firms, insurance companies and other enterprises on a worldwide basis. More information about XL Group is available at www.xlgroup.com.

SOURCE XL Insurance