ACE Limited yesterday announced the appointment of Robert Hernandez as lead director on its board.

This newly-created position was said to recognise the responsibilities Mr. Hernandez has assumed while previously serving as chairman of ACE?s nominating and governance committee which is made up of independent directors.

As lead director, Mr. Hernandez is charged with chairing regularly scheduled executive sessions for the board as well as serving as primary contact for those wishing to communicate with the board.

Mr. Hernandez has been a director of ACE since September 1985. In addition he sits on the board of RTI International Metals, is vice-chairman for the board of trustees of Blackrock Funds and is also a director of the Eastman Chemical Company.

He also served in various capacities at USX Corporation including as vice-chairman, director and CFO from 1989 to 2001.

Woolgar joins CCS Group

Bermuda IT company yesterday announced Mark Woolgar has joined its consulting team as a networking professional.

Mr. Woolgar was said to have been working in the IT industry for six years and possesses a broad level of experience across multiple areas of the industry with a specific focus on leveraging IT to meet business needs.

As well as providing trouble-shooting, installation and support services, Mr. Woolgar will support the CCS client base by providing consulting services for a variety of networking solutions and projects. Mr. Woolgar is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and a Citrix Certified Administrator.

CCS director of operations Garth Caters said: ?CCS is very excited to bring Mark on board. We are continuing to grow our networking support services team and Mark will add to our extensive abilities to address the Information Technology requirements of Bermuda?s business community.?

New staff for Air Care

Air conditioning company have appointed a new manager of business development and sales as well as a new service supervisor.

Craig Stevenson has been named to the business development post making him responsible for strategic planning, sales channel management, project management and overall business development of Air Care Limited, a subsidiary of the New Venture Holdings Group.

Mr. Stevenson was said to combine engineering experience with skills in marketing, management and business development. He commenced his career in Mechanical Engineering in the UK and has since worked in that field at Bermuda Waterworks (formerly Watlington Waterworks Ltd) as assistant engineer. He later joined the Bermuda Telephone Company within the wireless marketing group, and thereafter moved into management roles in customer care, credit and collections, and business development.

Meanwhile, Ron Iscoe has been appointed as service supervisor at Air Care putting him in charge of a team of 26 technicians and apprentices.

His responsibilities include management, overseeing service programmes, quality control at all levels and leading training initiatives developed specifically to encourage Bermudians to join the air conditioning and refrigeration industry.

He held a similar position in the Cayman Islands before moving to Bermuda.

Mr. Iscoe was said to hold a number of industry specific qualifications including Master HVAC/R, Gas Fitter, Journeyman Plumbing and Certified Air Balancing as well as being a Trane Comfort Specialist, Certified Trainer and Testing Officer for Bermuda.

Air Care general manager, Robert Platt said: ?Both new members of staff bring a wealth of experience to the table in their respective fields. We have been extremely fortunate in finding people that meet our requirements so well. Their understanding of the business has meant that they have been able to immediately make positive contributions to the business and really focus on achieving our number one priority for Air Care ? offering the best quality customer service on the Island.?

New underwriting manager at Arch

Arch Capital (UK) Ltd., a subsidiary of Bermuda-based Arch Capital Holdings Ltd., has expanded into construction and engineering insurance with the appointment of Anthony Reilly as Construction All Risks/Erection All Risks (CAR/EAR) underwriting manager.

Mr. Reilly, who was appointed on May 4, will have the responsibility for developing an international portfolio of CAR/EAR business. Mr. Reilly was previously senior construction and engineering underwriter with SCOR UK, prior to which he held similar positions with Allianz, Eagle Star and Prudential.

Berkowitz joins White Mountain

Investment advisor Bruce Berkowitz has been elected to the board of directors of Bermuda-based White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd.

Bruce Berkowitz is the Founder and Managing Member of Fairholme Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser, and the president and director of Fairholme Funds, Inc., investment adviser to The Fairholme Fund. Prior to founding Fairholme Capital, Mr. Berkowitz was a portfolio manager at Smith Barney, Inc. and Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.