Liberty Mutual Group announced a number of executive appointments and geographic realignments today in the wake of the $2.7 billion acquisition of Ohio Casualty Corp. that the firm completed Friday.

Ohio Casualty will join Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group's Agency Markets business unit, which consists of regional property-casualty and specialty insurance companies that distribute products and services through independent agents and brokers, Liberty said.

The changes unveiled today were the work of 18 integration teams that were formed with personnel from the two companies, after their respective boards voted to approve the merger in May, explained Gary Gregg, president of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets.

He said the key teams dealt with commercial lines, personal lines, specialty products, agency management and distribution.

Starting today, "we will be pretty seamless right out of the blocks," promised Mr. Gregg. He said the integration work had included extensive use of interviews and information amassed from agent focus groups.

Most agencies, he said, will more than likely be working with "the same people, the same technology and products."

Full technological integration, according to Mr. Gregg, will be the longest part of the process, but by the end of the first quarter of 2008, it should be complete--"absent running a couple of dual systems"--and each unit will be a single company with enhanced products. "Regional companies will be one company to our agents."

Among today's announcements, Dan Carmichael, president and chief executive of Ohio Casualty, will remain with Liberty Mutual Agency Markets as an executive consultant to Mr. Gregg, working on business development efforts, technology and other areas.

As part of regional structure changes, the company said the following executive appointments have been made, effective immediately: David Lancaster has been named president and chief executive officer of Indiana Insurance, while Michael Winner has been named president and CEO of Ohio Casualty.

Mr. Gregg said the specialty lines operations of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets and Ohio Casualty will be combined into the Specialty Products Group that will include surety, fidelity bonds, excess casualty and umbrella.

This group will be led by John Busby, who has been named senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Specialty Products Group.

In addition to the eight regional companies and the Specialty Products Group, Liberty Mutual Agency Markets includes two operating companies: Wausau Insurance Companies (a national commercial property-casualty insurer) and Summit Holding Southeast Inc. (a mono-line workers' compensation insurer covering Florida and nine Southeastern states).

Mr. Gregg said the acquisition of Ohio Casualty would immediately result in the following realignment of geographic regions covered by Agency Markets companies:

o America First Insurance--Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

o Indiana Insurance--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

o Montgomery Insurance--Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

o Ohio Casualty--Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

o Peerless Insurance--Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

o Hawkeye-Security Insurance operations will be split between America First Insurance and Indiana Insurance.

oColorado Casualty, Golden Eagle Insurance and Liberty Northwest will continue to operate in their current territories,

The company said the expanded Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, with $7.3 billion in net written premium, now is the largest regional provider of p-c products distributed through independent agents in the United States.

Last year Liberty Mutual Agency Markets' net written premium was $5.9 billion and Ohio Casualty's was $1.4 billion. Liberty Mutual Group's consolidated net written premium in 2006 was $20.6 billion.

Liberty Mutual Group is sixth-largest U.S. p-c insurer, based on 2006 direct written premium. Company products and services include personal auto, homeowners, commercial multiple peril, commercial auto, general liability, workers' comp, global specialty, group disability, assumed reinsurance, fire and surety. Liberty Mutual Group employs over 39,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

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Liberty Announces Shifts After Ohio Casualty Purchase

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