XL Group says it has started a new Crisis Management team led bya former AIG executive.

The team will provide U.S. corporate clients with productrecall, war, terrorism and political violence and kidnap, ransomand extortion insurance.

"Every day we are reminded in the news of the challenges ourclients face in their day to day operations,” says Stephen Ashwell,XL chief underwriting officer, in a statement. “We've broughttogether a winning team of underwriters who with decades ofexperience in Crisis Management will not only help businessesprepare and plan for these events but also manage one effectivelywhen necessary."

The team will be led by Denise Balan, who was most recently headof AIG’s accident and health products in the nonprofit anddeveloping markets. Before that, Balan was division president forAIG’s WorldSource Crisis Management—writing K&R, extortion,product recall and contaminated product insurance. She has heldseveral roles at AIG since 1996.

Ashwell says the team will guide XL toward more crisismanagement products. He says XL is currently working on a newK&R product.

Ben Tucker will join Balan in XL's New York office as head ofU.S. political violence and terrorism business. Tucker wassenior vice president of Marsh's Property Specialized RiskGroup.

Product recall underwriter Natasha McLean will also be in NewYork. McLean has spent the last decade underwriting product recalland contaminated products, as well as K&R at AIG.

The Crisis Management team will also include Clara Chan and JohnTurner in Boston. Turner join XL in 2011 to develop XL's productrecall and product contamination operation in North America. Chanhas underwriting experience in war terrorism and political violencefor AIG's Lexington Insurance Co. as well as Hiscox.