XL Insurance's North America Construction Team Grows with New Hires

NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- XL Insurance, the global insurance underwriting operations of XL Group plc (NYSE: XL), today announced six new appointments to its North America Construction team to meet contractors' multi-line insurance and risk management needs.

"When we first established the Construction business unit just over a year ago, we anticipated that we would attract contractors who would not only rely on us for quality coverage but who also valued industry-focused and high-quality service.  And we did," said Gary Kaplan, President of XL Insurance's North America Construction team.  "Our new XL colleagues are additional assurance that we are well equipped and well staffed to address our growing client base with continued high level of service.  We have not only built a dedicated Construction team, but built it with some of the most knowledgeable, most committed talent in our industry."  

The latest additions to XL Insurance's North America Construction team include:

• Lawrence Lejfer -- Vice President and Senior Underwriter for Construction Professional Liability in New York. Mr. Lejfer joins XL from Zurich North America where as an underwriting manager he directed the company's Construction Professional Liability and Builders Risk books of business for the Northeast Region.  He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance.  He also holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation.

• Raymond Allen -- Assistant Vice President and Senior Underwriter for Construction Professional Liability in New York.  Mr. Allen joins XL's Construction team from its Environmental unit where he served as a Professional and Pollution Liability Underwriter for XL's Construction & Environmental Services clients. Prior to his underwriting positions with XL, Mr. Allen also served as an Environmental Claims Consultant where he provided management and technical support for claims involving remediation projects and national spill response management program.  Mr. Allen is a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Sciences.  He also recently earned the Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designation.

• Michael Baxter -- Vice President of Property in XL's Toronto office.  Mr. Baxter is responsible for managing XL Insurance's Canadian property business, including Energy and Construction-related property coverages.  He joins XL Insurance from Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, where he was Vice President - Engineering and Construction.  Previously he served as CEO and Chief Agent of Arch Insurance Group's Canadian operations, and was Worldwide Chief Underwriting Officer for Arch Insurance Group's Onshore Energy (Technical Risk) and CAR/EAR businesses. Prior to joining Arch, he was Vice President in the Marine and Energy Practice of Marsh Canada Limited in Calgary.  Mr. Baxter also spent more than 10 years with Starr Technical Risks Agency, the majority of that service in the role of Vice President and Manager for Starr Tech's Canadian Operations.  He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario, having earned his Bachelor of Engineering Sciences in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.

• Jim Richert -- Risk Engineer for Subcontractor Default Insurance in New York.  Mr. Richert joins XL Insurance's North America Construction team from Zurich Services Corporation where he spent the last 5 years as a Senior Risk Engineering Consultant serving professional liability, subcontractor default and casualty insurance clients. He also brings hands-on construction industry experience to XL having spent 9 years working for a major U.S. heavy/highway/transit contractor.  He graduated from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York with a degree in Civil Engineering.  

• Mark Kulas -- Senior Underwriter for Construction Property in XL's Chicago office.  He joins XL from Zurich North America where he was a senior account executive underwriting Inland Marine/Builder's risk. Prior to his tenure in underwriting, he worked for Zurich's property claims department for nearly a decade handling large losses and catastrophe claims. Mr. Kulas graduated from University of Illinois - Chicago with a degree in criminal justice. 

• Nancy Rummel -- Vice President and Executive Underwriter in Construction Primary Casualty and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ms. Rummel brings 30 years of multi-line underwriting experience to XL.  Most recently, she was managing account executive for Zurich North America, helping establish their construction underwriting operation in Indianapolis and managing activities in Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan.  Her career also includes underwriting management and staff positions with CNA Insurance Company and Aetna Casualty.  She is a graduate of Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.  

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 XL Group plc's insurance companies and underwriting divisions offering property, casualty, professional and specialty insurance products throughout the world. More information about XL Insurance is available at www.xlinsurance.com.

XL was formed in 1986 in response to the unmet risk management needs of 68 of the world's largest companies. This year, as XL celebrates its 25th anniversary, it remains the company clients look to for innovative insurance and reinsurance solutions for their most complex risks.  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 plc is available at www.xlgroup.com.

SOURCE XL Insurance