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PEMBROKE, Bermuda--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (aAXIS Capitala) (NYSE: AXS) today announced that its AXIS Insurance segment has appointed John Van Decker as Executive Vice President and Head of North American Professional Lines.

In this newly created position, Mr. Van Decker is responsible for oversight of AXIS Insuranceas professional lines underwriting units in the U.S. and Bermuda. He is based in Berkeley Heights, NJ, and reports to Jack Kuhn, Chief Underwriting Officer of AXIS Insurance and Global Practice Leader, AXIS Professional Lines.

In welcoming Mr. Van Decker to AXIS, Mr. Kuhn said, aJohn has extensive experience leading professional lines insurance operations and he is well respected in the industry. His expertise and unwavering focus on underwriting excellence fit in well with our management team and the outstanding talent we have within each of our professional lines business units. I am confident that John will be instrumental in helping us further enhance our position in the professional lines marketplace.a

Mr. Van Decker joins AXIS Insurance from Catlin U.S. where he developed and led various professional liability and management liability lines. Prior to joining Catlin in 2006, he served as President of the Professional Liability Division of Quanta U.S. Holdings, Inc. responsible for a broad array of management and professional liability insurance product lines. He also previously held management and underwriting positions at CNA Pro and AIGas National Union subsidiary.

Mr. Van Decker is active in the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) and is a frequent speaker on various professional liability topics. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Connecticut.

About AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital is a Bermuda-based global provider of specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance with shareholdersa equity at September 30, 2011 of $5.4 billion and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, Canada and Australia. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of aA+a (aStronga) with a stable outlook by Standard & Pooras and aAa (aExcellenta) with a positive outlook by A.M. Best. AXIS Capital and AXIS Specialty Finance LLC have been assigned senior unsecured debt ratings of A- (stable) by Standard & Pooras and Baa1 (stable) by Moodyas Investors Service. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at [ www.axiscapital.com ].