to its Bermuda office.

Ross Webber has been appointed marketing manager and assistant vice president of underwriting. Karen Radke and Shannon Totten have also been appointed as assistant vice presidents of underwriting.

The appointments in response to demand from brokerage firms and clients for form occurrence capacity and integrated capacity, according to a press release from Starr Excess.

Mr. Webber was formerly with ACE Insurance Co. Ltd. which he joined in 1995 to help form the marketing department. He worked at ACE's excess liability division.

Prior to joining Starr Ms Radke was an underwriter of excess liability business at XL Insurance Co. for two years. Before working at XL she worked as a casualty reinsurance underwriter at General Reinsurance Co.

Ms Totten joined Starr from the American Home Assurance Co. where she worked as an excess casualty underwriter. Prior to working there she was an account executive of Sedgwick's global division based in New York.

Earlier this year Starr Excess was taken over by American International Group.

Starr's incorporation was then changed to Delaware from Bermuda. Starr now has 27 staff in Bermuda, and two each in New York, Dublin and London.

Clients can now access Starr Excess directly from the US, while the company plans to continue as a leading excess carrier in Bermuda. The decision to move was driven by a desire to allow US clients to access Starr directly.

Mr. Webber said the Bermuda location remains the main underwriting office of Starr Excess.

"We will be expanding not contracting our office here,'' he said yesterday.

BUSINESS BUC