NEW YORK — In one of his last public statements before steppingdown as CEO of Philadelphia Insurance Cos. on Jan. 1, Jamie Maguireshared some of the strategies that help set his company apart.

For starters, Maguire, who spoke at the 23rd annualExecutive Conference hosted by Ernst & Young and SummitBusiness Media (parent company of PC360), was justifiablyproud of Philly's decision to stay entirely out of what has becomeone of the most-troubled lines in the industry: workers'compensation. The total absence of that coverage on the company'sbooks gives it a big boost over competitors' saddled with it.

Another point of distinction for the company: It's 49.3 percent“hit rate” on binding business that it quotes. Maguire creditsPhilly's trademarked “10 Reasons Why” marketing strategy as a keyfactor in this impressive figure: For each line it writes, thecompany offers 10 ways in which its coverage is advantageous toinsureds. Its special “Bell” endorsements, playing off its homecity's most-famous landmark, are another tactic to help itspolicies stand out in the crowd (such as offering Key EmployeeReplacement coverage at no extra cost).