Michael Baxter Joins XL Insurance's North America Property Team to Manage Canadian Business

Toronto, Canada - August 04, 2011

TORONTO, August 4, 2011 – The Canadian branch of XL Insurance Company Limited, part of the insurance underwriting operations of XL Group plc (NYSE: XL), today announced the appointment of Michael Baxter as Vice President of Property. Reporting to Joseph Tocco, head of XL Insurance’s North America Property unit, Mr. Baxter will be responsible for managing XL Insurance’s Canadian property business, including Energy and Construction-related property coverages. He is based in XL’s Toronto office.According to Cindy Guyatt, XL Insurance’s Canadian Country Manager, "We’re excited to add Michael’s knowledge and know-how to our underwriting team here in Toronto. We wholeheartedly believe that delivering loss prevention services and underwriting expertise hand-in-hand provides our clients with more effective property protection and Michael brings that effective combination of underwriting expertise and risk engineering knowledge.”“Throughout his career, Michael has focused on providing insurance coverages for some of the industry’s most complex risks,” said Mr. Tocco. “Our clients, especially those representing heavy industries, will surely benefit from Michael’s considerable risk management expertise -- from his dealings with large complex property risks to his underwriting experience with Boiler and Machinery and CAR/EAR coverages for businesses that range from contractors to mining to petrochemical plants, power generation businesses and refineries.”Mr. Baxter joins XL Insurance from Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, where he was Vice President - Engineering and Construction. Previously he served as CEO and Chief Agent of Arch Insurance Group’s Canadian operations, and was subsequently appointed Worldwide Chief Underwriting Officer for Arch Insurance Group’s Onshore Energy (Technical Risk) and CAR/EAR businesses. Prior to joining Arch, he was Vice President in the Marine and Energy Practice of Marsh Canada Limited in Calgary. Mr. Baxter also spent over 10 years with Starr Technical Risks Agency, the majority of that service in the role of Vice President and Manager for Starr Tech’s Canadian Operations. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario, having earned his Bachelor of Engineering Sciences in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. About XL InsuranceXL Insurance is the global brand used by XL Group plc's insurance companies and underwriting divisions offering property, casualty, professional and specialty insurance products throughout the world. More information about XL Insurance is available at www.xlinsurance.com. XL was formed in 1986 in response to the unmet risk management needs of 68 of the world's largest companies. This year, as XL celebrates its 25th anniversary, it remains the company clients look to for innovative insurance and reinsurance solutions for their most complex risks. XL Group plc, through its subsidiaries, is a global insurance and reinsurance company providing property, casualty, and specialty products to industrial, commercial, and professional firms, insurance companies and other enterprises on a worldwide basis. More information about XL Group plc is available at www.xlgroup.com