Bermuda Insurance Institute.

Brian O'Hara, President and Chief Executive Officer of XL Capital was given the Market Leader of the Year Award, and Ernest Stempel the Lifetime Achievement Award.

This is the second Annual Awards Dinner Dance which was held by the institute at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel on Saturday night.

The ceremony was hosted by Larry Lombardo and awards were presented by Rees Fletcher.

The awards are presented each year to outstanding individuals whose initiative and leadership set them apart from their peers.

Brian O'Hara was chosen because he has been instrumental in taking XL Capital onto the global market and the expansion which has seen XL move into the reinsurance world.

One of the founding members of XL in the mid 80's, Mr. O'Hara has expanded and diversified the company beyond recognition throughout 1999.

Now under the umbrella of XL, companies as diverse as XL Mid Ocean Re, XL Capital Products, NAC Re, Le Mans Re, Intercargo Corp and ECS Inc, can be found. Mr. Stempel arrived in Bermuda in 1953 with American International to run its non-life division. Since then he has been a leading figure on the Island and has helped the industry grow into what it is today.

For 35 years he was the man responsible for AIG's Bermuda operations. At 81 he retired from AIG in 1997 after assuming the mantle of vice chairman of the global company.

Mr. Stempel also led the initiative to form the International Companies Division of the Chamber of Commerce.

Past meets present: The Second Annual Awards Dinner of the Bermuda Insurance Institute was presented by Rees Fletcher (centre) to Brian O'Hara (left) and Ernest Stempel.

BUSINESS BUC