HAMILTON, Bermuda, July 24 -- Catlin Group issued the following news release:

Catlin Group Limited, ('CGL'; London Stock Exchange), the international specialty property/casualty insurer and reinsurer, announces that Andrew McMellin, currently the Group's deputy chief underwriting officer, will become chief executive officer of Catlin US, with effect from 1 September 2012. Andrew will remain a member of the Catlin Group Executive Committee.

Catlin US is the Catlin Group's US underwriting hub, which is headquartered in Atlanta and operates 20 offices, including two in Latin America. Catlin US also includes two wholly owned admitted insurance carriers and a non-admitted insurer. Catlin US's gross premiums written amounted to US$852 million in 2011.

Current Catlin US CEO Richard S. Banas will continue as a member of the Group Executive Committee and will assume the additional roles of chairman of Catlin's underwriting hubs in the Asia-Pacific region and Canada. In these roles he will work with the hubs' leadership teams to assist with the hubs' further development. He will also lead the Group's insurance-related strategic investment activities in the United States.

Stephen Catlin, chief executive of Catlin Group Limited, said:

"I am pleased to announce that Andrew McMellin will succeed Richard Banas as CEO of Catlin's US underwriting hub. Andrew has distinguished himself during his 13 years at Catlin in a variety of underwriting roles, culminating in serving as deputy chief underwriting officer of the Group and a member of the Group Executive Committee. I am delighted that Andrew is assuming responsibility for our growing US operations as a time when market conditions are improving in the US.

"The success of Catlin's US underwriting hub has been largely due to Rich Banas' leadership. When Rich joined Catlin in 2006, our US operations consisted of two small offices that wrote a negligible amount of premium volume. We now operate 20 offices in the US and Latin America which will underwrite gross premiums of nearly US$1 billion this year. Most importantly, Rich has successfully recruited a team of more than 400 experienced underwriters and insurance professionals whose goals and values mirror those of the rest of the Group. Rich will now focus largely on continuing to build Catlin's operations in the Asia-Pacific region and Canada, which offer tremendous opportunities for continued profitable growth for Catlin."

Andrew McMellin joined Catlin in London in 1999 as class underwriter for Non-Marine Liability business and was appointed underwriting director for Casualty business classes in 2003. He was appointed deputy underwriter of the Catlin Syndicate in 2006, Group underwriting director in 2008 and deputy chief underwriting officer of the Catlin Group in 2009. Prior to joining Catlin, Andrew was Liability class underwriter for M W Drysdale & Others, Syndicate 820 and was a divisional director in the Casualty Team of Willis' London Market Broking unit.

Richard S. Banas joined Catlin in April 2006 as president and chief executive officer of Catlin US. Prior to joining Catlin he was executive vice president and chief underwriting officer of XL Professional Lines. He previously served as chief underwriting officer for XL's global insurance operations. He also served as a managing director of One Beacon Insurance Group and as senior vice president and chief insurance operating officer at CGU-North America. He held various underwriting and business development responsibilities at St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, where he worked for more than 20 years.

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