Minneapolis, February 11, 2008 -- Collins, whose growth in recent years has resulted in a dramatic increase in its broad clientele of U.S. insurance company clients, is expanding its services as a reinsurance intermediary to Europe, President and Chief Executive Officer Pat Denzer announced today.

Denzer said Michel Fernandez, a native of Paris, France who has worked for 15 years as a reinsurance broker serving European clients, has been appointed managing director of Collins' European initiative and will develop Collins' platform for doing business with European clients.

"We see potential opportunities for a range of European insurance companies to benefit from the strengths and expertise of Collins," Denzer explained. "With our broad capabilities in traditional reinsurance as well as in the capital markets, we can deliver highly customized programs to a wide range of clients.

"We believe this approach will resonate with companies in Europe, and we're very excited about our prospects with European companies," Denzer said. "With the addition of Michel Fernandez, we have a European specialist with the background and experience to help deliver Collins' services at all levels of the Continent's insurance industry."

M. Fernandez began his reinsurance broking career in 1993 with Guy Carpenter and Co. in Paris, where his clients included French insurers. After 10 years in Paris, he worked in Guy Carpenter's New York office handling accounts for insurance companies in several European countries.

M. Fernandez holds a bachelor's degree in International Business from St. Cloud (Minn., USA) State University, and also attended l'Institut Supérieur de Réassurance at the Ecole Nationale d'Assurances in Paris.