December 1, designed to make the Bermuda insurer more customer focused.

XL parent, EXEL Ltd., said yesterday the changes would enhance the insurer's ability to provide solutions to customers' risk transfer needs.

The new structure will have four distinct units reporting to XL president and CEO, Robert J. Cooney.

Mr. Cooney said, "The reorganisation of XL provides the entire company the opportunity to improve and adapt its capabilities to meet the challenges of continuous and rapid change in a competitive industry. The new organisation focuses on customers while maintaining the product and underwriting expertise stressed by the company since its inception.

"This organisational structure will allow the company to fully employ its intellectual capital, stressing our strong entrepreneurial market-driven culture.

"It contemplates shorter decision paths and more rapid responses to our customers' needs while providing greater accountability on the part of each employee for the success of the company.'' Mr. Cooney said that the underwriting unit, which will be led by the former head of XL Risk Solutions, William M. Thornhill, would be responsible for underwriting products, pricing, coverage, product enhancement, claims and new insurance product development. Keith Fisher will continue to be responsible for underwriting general liability, XL's largest individual line of business.

The company's claims operations, managed by Pamela J. Martin, will also report to Mr. Thornhill. The underwriting heads are to be announced later.

The second unit, customer solutions, will be responsible for customer relations, sales and marketing. Customer solutions will be comprised of several strategic, customer-focused business units which will coordinate production and underwriting for providing risk solutions for specific customer/industry groups.

This unit will report to Mr. Cooney, pending the outcome of a search involving both internal and external candidates. The customer business units organised to date will be headed by James J. Ansaldi, James K. Miller, Paul D. Dowden and Angelo Guagliano.

Organisational development will be headed by Richard R. Morano, and will be a unit that incorporates human resources, employee training and development, product research and development, corporate marketing and promotion, information systems, communications and organisation effectiveness.

Internal operations, with offices in Ireland, England and Australia, are currently being evaluated and continue to report to Mr. Cooney. Michael A.

Siese, chief financial officer of XL continues to report to EXEL's chief financial officer.

Mr. Cooney said XL had been extremely successful in providing "monoline insurance capacity''.