Clive Tobin has been named chief executive of Bermuda-based specialty insurer Torus Insurance Holdings Ltd.

Mr. Tobin will succeed David Hope as CEO effective from January 1, 2009. Mr. Hope will remain as chief underwriting officer.

Most recently, Mr. Tobin has been CEO of XL Capital Group's global insurance operations.

He joined XL in Bermuda in 1995, and in 2001 moved to Zurich, Switzerland to XL International Global Risk, the combined global risk management operations of XL, and the newly-acquired Winterthur International.

In 2004, Mr. Tobin moved to London to assume the CEO's position.

Torus chairman Mark McComiskey said Mr. Tobin "brings unparalleled insurance experience and knowledge of the global insurance industry".

Mr. McComiskey said in a statement that Mr. Tobin's "vision for the future of Torus as a differentiated, global, specialty insurer make him uniquely qualified to lead the development of Torus".

"Our strategic focus will be in large commercial property, casualty and specialty businesses," said Mr. Tobin in a statement.

Torus provides specialty insurance products through insurance subsidiaries in the US, UK and Bermuda.

Its areas of expertise include energy, power, utility and construction and other highly-engineered risk classes.