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Standard & Poor's, a provider of independent investment research, ratings and indices, has announced the appointment of JITENDRA SHARMA as executive managing director and head of Standard & Poor's Risk Solutions, its global risk management services business. Sharma joins S&P from Ernst & Young, where he was a senior partner in the Financial Services Advisory Group. At Ernst & Young, he advised banks on governance and risk management issues, including regulatory issues associated with Basel 2 and consolidated supervision; hedge funds, on the structure and set-up of new strategies as well as trading technology, risk-management analytics and infrastructure; and prime brokers, on risk-infrastructure issues.

Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Company has announced the appointment of F. MICHAEL CROWLEY to the position of president. In this role, Crowley will have overall responsibility for profit and loss, revenue growth, trading relationships and executive management of HRH's more than 120 retail insurance operations. Crowley joined HRH as executive vice president and national director for property and casualty in 2004. Prior to joining HRH, Crowley was president and chief operating officer and ultimately vice chairman of Palmer & Cay Inc. During his 13-year tenure at Palmer & Cay, the company grew from a small regional firm to one of the largest brokerages in the nation.

PAUL BREHM has joined Guy Carpenter & Co. Inc. as a senior vice president in the Minneapolis office, the firm has announced. He will be a part of the Instrat unit, which provides risk and financial modeling and other analytical services. Prior to joining Guy Carpenter, Brehm was chief actuary at St. Paul Travelers, where he was responsible for all corporate actuarial functions. His specialties include reserving, catastrophe risk modeling and risk and capital management.

William Gallagher Associates announces the promotion of MICHAEL KEARNEY to executive vice president. Kearney specializes in providing insurance and risk management services to companies in the life science and technology industries. He has more than 20 years of insurance industry experience, joining WGA in 1996, after working for Liberty Mutual.

David Morse & Associates, a national claims administration and independent adjusting company in Los Angeles, has announced the appointment of JUAN AVILA as manager for the firm's Long Beach, Calif., branch. Avila has been with David Morse & Associates since 1992 at the Los Angeles office and is experienced across all lines of liability claims.

Zurich has announced that RICHARD J. LAW JR. has joined its North American operations as president of Zurich Small Business. Law will be responsible for developing and executing small business strategy, including sales, marketing and distribution. Law most recently served as vice president in the risk management division for Hartford Financial Services Group where he managed major and national accounts, as well as specialty construction operations.

The PMI Group, Inc. has announced the promotion of Chief Enterprise Risk Officer JOANNE BERKOWITZ to executive vice president. In this capacity, she is responsible for enterprise risk management for the PMI Group, including U.S. mortgage insurance operations, international subsidiaries and strategic investments. She also manages PMI's Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance initiatives, strategic planning and internal audit functions. Previously, Berkowitz had been group senior vice president, enterprise risk management.

Integro (Canada) Ltd. has announced that it has hired ROBERT DUNN to head its new Montreal office. He will be responsible for directing the company's Montreal business strategy and resources, as well as developing and cultivating executive-level relationships with clients and prospects. Dunn has nearly 30 years experience in the insurance industry. Before joining Integro (Canada) Ltd., he was a senior vice president for Willis Group, heading that broker's Canada office.

Willis Group Holdings has announced the appointment of ASHOK DHAWAN as chief executive officer of their operations in India. Dhawan will be located in Mumbai. He was previously the chief operating officer of Intelenet--a joint venture of Barclays Bank and India's largest mortgage bank HDFC. Prior to Intelenet, he established the back office operations for GE Capital in India, where he worked for six years as business leader for the commercial finance division.

Hunton & Williams has announced that ROBERT J. MORROW has joined the firm as partner with the insurance and reinsurance litigation practice in New York. He previously worked for Dewey Ballantine and White & Case.

Patni Computer Systems Ltd. has announced the appointment of DENNIS STECKLER as senior solution architect. Steckler brings more than 30 years of career experience to Patni including expertise in line management, risk management, marketing and business/technology consulting in the property/casualty, life, health and risk management market segments. Steckler will assume global responsibility for third-party alliance management, participate in contract reviews with vendors and clients, and provide management consulting, business development, and sales support within the insurance business unit.

Aviva Life Insurance Co. has announced the appointment of WILLIAM HEWLETT as vice president and chief underwriter, the firm has announced. Hewlett will direct all underwriting activities, including the company's software applications for the life insurance business. Prior to joining Aviva, Hewlett served as a senior underwriting manager at Mass Mutual in Springfield, Mass.

KYMBERLEE KEEFE, ROGER FRANCOLINE, FRANCES SIGURANI and BRIAN SLIFE have joined Aon's national health care practice, the broker has announced.

Keefe, who will be based in Atlanta, joins the practice as senior vice president and national practice leader for the company's long term care practice. With a comprehensive understanding of risk management and 20 years of experience developing and implementing insurance and other risk solutions in the long term care sector, Keefe offers in-depth industry knowledge and expertise. Prior to joining Aon, Keefe served as senior vice president of SavaSenior Care Administrative Services and Mariner Healthcare, organizations with revenues of approximately $1 billion.

Francoline joins Aon Healthcare as senior vice president of product development working in Greenwich, Conn. He has 12 years of experience with several major health insurance carriers where he focused on compliance, risk management and product development. Francoline was previously senior vice president of HealthMarket, a consumer-driven health plan carrier, with oversight of underwriting, actuarial, compliance and product development.

Sigurani and Slife also join the company after years serving health care clients for another large insurance brokerage. Expanding Aon Healthcare's team of service professionals, Sigurani, who will be based in Miami, and Slife, who will be based in Cleveland, will provide daily guidance and counsel to clients across the nation.

XL London Market Ltd., part of XL Capital Ltd., has announced several appointments to the London-based XL Insurance Fine Art & Specie unit. MICHAEL MOSS, DAVID SCULLY, CLARE PARDY, SUSIE COLLIER and MARK BOSSHARD have joined the Fine Art & Specie team.

Moss has 28 years of leadership experience in the London market. His focus will be on the strategic management of the product line. He will also be involved in the day-to-day underwriting of the XL Insurance's Fine Art & Specie business via XL London Market Ltd., the firm said.

Scully has 25 years of insurance experience and Pardy has 23 years of experience in art insurance. Both will be responsible for the growth and development of the XL Insurance Fine Art portfolio in the UK, Continental Europe and elsewhere, the firm also said.

Collier will be responsible for managing the London team's fine art claims. Bosshard, who is a former London broker with experience in dealing with international fine art risks, will focus on the day-to-day underwriting of the XL Insurance fine art business at Lloyd's.

November 1, 2005

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