Zurich has been chosen as a major European center for insurance and finance, and the ideal hub for accessing RMS' widespread client base in this region.

"The opening of this office comes at the height of major European model development initiatives by RMS, bringing next generation risk modeling products for windstorm, flood, and earthquake to our clients during 2006 and 2007," said Jorg Muller, vice president of the European industry practice at RMS and head of the new RMS Zurich operation. "The landscape of risk faced by insurers, reinsurers, and intermediaries is changing and expanding rapidly in a multi-dimensional way, and there is an increasing need for more holistic approaches to modeling and for the modeling of new threats."

With the suite of traditional natural catastrophe models being complemented by loss modeling solutions for terrorism and infectious diseases, RMS underwriting and portfolio management platforms offer the most comprehensive view of risk available today. European exposures to both of these threats are significant, and the new office will enable RMS to work more closely with local clients to better understand and manage these risks.

"Opening RMS Zurich is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to the many clients we serve in Continental Europe. We believe the best way to service clients and to innovate is to move our considerable resources closer to clients and the markets they serve. We are pleased to add Zurich to our global client facing network," said Bill Keogh, EVP & Global Managing Director at RMS.

Mr. Jorg Muller, who heads RMS Zurich, joined RMS in 2000 and has most recently been leading the RMS Central Europe industry practice group. Prior to joining RMS, Mr. Muller worked for several years in the reinsurance industry as catastrophe risk analyst. He holds a degree in geophysics from the University of Bochum, Germany.