HSB Unites All Insurance Operations under Mercier

HSB Group says it has put all of its insurance operations under Normand Mercier, who has been appointed to the new post of chief global insurance officer. This action combines all of HSB Group's commercial and large account special risk insurance businesses worldwide.

``Norm is a strong and disciplined manager with the energy and broad experience to lead our global insurance business,'' said Richard Booth, chairman, president and chief executive officer of HSB Group. ``Under his leadership, our U.S. commercial operations have continued their strong growth and profitability. He is extraordinarily competent and driven to improve the profitability and competitive position of our insurance businesses.''

``We have a number of key goals in unifying our insurance operations,'' said Mercier. ``First and foremost is to maximize the profitability and productivity of our global insurance business. We also see opportunities to better align our people with the needs of our customers and more fully leverage HSB's engineering skills to prevent or reduce loss.''

Mercier will lead the U.S. commercial division of HSB, which provides equipment breakdown insurance to more than one million businesses, and the U.S. energy division of HSB that insures power generation facilities and select oil, chemical and gas industries. He will also manage HSB Engineering Insurance Limited, headquartered in London, which insures industries in 90 countries, as well as The Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Canada and other insurance subsidiaries.

Mercier most recently was senior vice president of HSB Group, Inc., responsible for the U.S. commercial insurance operations, a position he assumed in November 1998. Prior to joining HSB Group, Mercier was president and general manager of The Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Canada (BI&I).

Mercier, a native of Canada, is a fellow, with honors of the Insurance Institute of Canada and holds a bachelor's of science degree from the University of Montreal.

HSB Group, Inc., the parent company of The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, is a global provider of specialty insurance products, engineering services and management consulting.