Leading insurance company ACE yesterday announced that Susan Patschak had been appointed as the company's chief actuary.

The company said Ms Patschak would succeed Dr. John Burville, who had retired but was remaining with ACE to assist in the transition abd to continue work with the rating agencies and also work on a number of special projects. Ms Patschak was formerly with Tillinghast-Towers Perrin where, most recently, she held the post of Property/Casualty Sector Leader for North America, Managing Principal of the Latin American operations and location manager for the Tillinghast Bermuda office.

Ms Patschak has over 17 years of actuarial experience in the global property casualty insurance industry and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society. ACE CEO Brian Duperreault said: "We are delighted to have someone of Susan's calibre join ACE. She has a wealth of global experience, and has successfully counselled an impressive array of multinational companies. I have no doubt that Susan will build on the high ethical and professional foundation that John Burville laid, increasing the strength of the actuarial function at ACE to meet today's challenges."

Dr. Burville joined ACE in 1992 as chief actuary. The company said as chief actuary he had been responsible for coordinating and consolidating all actuarial functions in the ACE Group of Companies during a period of intense acquisition and diversification.