Press Release

Catlin Group Limited Establishes Office in Hong Kong

7 July 2006

 

HONG KONG - Catlin Group Limited (‘CGL’: London Stock Exchange), the international speciality property/casualty insurer and reinsurer, has established a new office in Hong Kong. 

 

Catlin Hong Kong Limited will operate as a registered Lloyd’s of London coverholder, binding non-life business on behalf of the Catlin Syndicate (Syndicate 2003) at Lloyd’s.  The office will focus on serving brokers and their clients in North Asia, including Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.  The office will be headed by Neil Wray, formerly principal officer of Catlin Asia in Singapore.

 

Catlin’s Hong Kong office will initially specialise in underwriting marine hull and cargo, non-marine property and terrorism coverages and will also work with underwriters in Catlin’s Singapore office to provide onshore and offshore energy, construction, fine art, specie, aviation, general liability and professional liability coverages.

 

Joining Neil Wray in the Catlin Hong Kong office will be David Hughes, a marine class underwriter who is relocating from Catlin’s London office.  The underwriting team in Hong Kong will be further expanded over time.

 

Catlin Hong Kong Limited is the third office that Catlin has established in Asia, having opened offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in 1999.

 

Neil Wray said:

 

“The markets of North Asia offer significant growth opportunities for Catlin. Positioning ourselves in Hong Kong will give us a strong local presence and infrastructure to allow us to develop our business in this important region.  Catlin Hong Kong will build on and exploit the success and strong reputation that Catlin has earned in Asia through our offices in Singapore and Malaysia.”

The contact details for Catlin’s Hong Kong office are:

Catlin Hong Kong Limited
Level 3
Three Pacific Place
One Queen’s Road East
Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 2855 6825
Fax: +852 2855 6829   

 - ends -

For more information:

Media Relations:    
James Burcke,
Head of Communications,
London

Tel:
Mobile:
E-Mail:

 +44 (0)20 7458 5710
+44 (0)7958 767 738
james.burcke@catlin.com 
Liz Morley,
The Maitland Consultancy,
London		 Tel:
E-mail:		 +44 (0)20 7379 5151
emorley@maitland.co.uk
Investor Relations:    
William Spurgin,
Head of Investor Relations,
London

Tel:
Mobile:
E-mail:

 +44 (0)20 7458 5726
+44 (0)7710 314 365
william.spurgin@catlin.com

Notes:

1.   The Catlin Group, headquartered in Bermuda, is an international specialist property/casualty insurer and reinsurer writing more than 30 classes of business worldwide. Catlin wrote gross premiums of $1.4 billion in 2005.  Catlin shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: CGL).
2.  

 Catlin operates four underwriting platforms:

  • The Catlin Syndicate at Lloyd’s of London (Syndicate 2003), which is one of the largest syndicates at Lloyd’s based on 2006 premium capacity of Ł450 million. It is a recognised leader of numerous classes of specialty insurance and reinsurance. 
  • Catlin Bermuda (Catlin Insurance Company Ltd.), which underwrites property treaty and casualty treaty reinsurance and property and casualty insurance.
  • Catlin UK (Catlin Insurance Company (UK) Ltd.), which specialises in underwriting commercial non-life insurance for UK clients. It also writes other classes of business written by the Catlin Syndicate.
  • Catlin US (American Indemnity Company, to be renamed Catlin Insurance Company Inc.), which specialises in underwriting commercial property/casualty insurance for US clients.

The CThe Catlin Syndicate, Catlin Bermuda and Catlin UK have financial strength ratings of ‘A’ (Excellent) from A.M. Best Company.  Catlin Bermuda and Catlin UK have insurance financial strength ratings of ‘A-‘ (Strong) from Standard & Poor’s, whilst the Catlin Syndicate has a Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessment of ‘4-‘ (Low Dependency) from Standard & Poor’s.

3.  

Catlin also operates offices worldwide which allow Catlin underwriters to work closely with local policyholders and brokers.  The offices are located in the United States (Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans and San Francisco), Canada (Toronto), Australia (Sydney), Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Germany (Cologne), Belgium (Antwerp) and Guernsey.  Catlin UK has regional offices in Glasgow, Leeds, Derby, Birmingham and Watford.

4.   For more information about Catlin, please see the Group's website at www.catlin.com.