ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group, today announced the appointment of Howard Chu as Branch Manager of its Minneapolis office. In this position, Mr. Chu will work closely with insurance brokers and clients in the Upper Midwest area to cultivate relationships and expand ACE USA's presence in this market. He will also manage distribution, product sales and marketing, producer relationships, and general operations in the region, which includes the states of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

?The Upper Midwest market continues to offer tremendous growth opportunities for ACE. Howard's excellent track record in assessing the complex risks associated with a variety of organizations, in particular, multinational corporations, will be invaluable in strengthening relationships with local clients and brokers, and help them to better understand ACE's broad portfolio of products as well as our superior service discipline,? said Scott McKeon, Senior Vice President and Midwest Regional Executive Officer.

With more than 11 years of experience in the corporate risk management arena, Mr. Chu joins ACE USA from General Motors Company, where he served in a variety of positions, most recently as Risk Manager – Corporate Risk Management. He previously spent three years as Risk Manager – Asia Pacific Operations for General Motors in its Shanghai office, and as Senior Risk Financing Analyst in the company's Treasurer's Office. He also held the position of Corporate Risk Manager for GMAC Financial Services in Detroit. Mr. Chu received a bachelor's degree in business administration, finance and risk management from the University of Wisconsin, and an M.B.A. from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, part of the University of Michigan.

ACE USA is the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group, and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and AA- (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor's. ACE USA, through its underwriting companies, provides insurance products and services throughout the U.S. Additional information on ACE USA and its products and services can be found at www.aceusa.com. Celebrating 25 years of insuring progress, the ACE Group is a global leader in insurance and reinsurance serving a diverse group of clients. Headed by ACE Limited (NYSE:ACE), a component of the S&P 500 stock index, the ACE Group conducts its business on a worldwide basis with operating subsidiaries in more than 50 countries. Additional information can be found at: www.acegroup.com.

ACE Group
Carla L. Ferrara, 215-640-4744
Carla.ferrara@acegroup.com