Ace is expanding its presence in Eastern Europe by opening offices in Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The insurance and reinsurance giant, which has its global headquarters in Bermuda, is looking to increase business in many of the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe.

Ace European Group already has offices in Poland and Russia.

The company's Hungarian operation will be run by Peter Dudas, who has been appointed general manager for the country. He previously worked for Genworth Financial where he was the country manager for Hungary.

Jiri Schneller has been appointed as general manager to run Ace's Czech Republic operation. Mr. Schneller will be based in Prague<\h> and will also be responsible for the company's activities in neighbouring Slovakia. He was previously head of external service with Winterthur Life Insurance Company.

Both Mr. Schneller and Mr. Dudas will report to Ace's regional director for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Andras Koppanyi, who said: "Our new operations in the Czech Republic and Hungary will complement our existing CEE offices in Poland and Russia, enabling Ace to capitalise on strategic opportunities as the region continues to develop."

Announcing the openings David Furby, Ace's president of Continental Europe and the CEE region, said: "These new offices represent a very exciting time for Ace as we extend our operations across Europe. With a large global network behind it, Ace now has presence in 19 European countries, demonstrating our commitment to the local market.

"Peter and Jiri will provide both operational and strategic leadership in their respective countries. They will be responsible for the launch of both property and casualty and accident and health business lines in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia and will work to explore other potential opportunities."