Three Execs Added To Insurance Hall Of Fame

NU Online News Service, June 8, 3:52 p.m.EDT?The New York-based International Insurance Societysaid it added industry leaders from the Netherlands, Japan andNorway to the Insurance Hall of Fame today.[@@]

The three new members, who bring the total number of Hallinductees to 111, are:

? Kees Storm, retired chairman of the executive board of AEGONN. V., Netherlands.

? Takeo Inokuchi, chairman and chief executive of MitsuiSumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. in Japan.

? Per Hansson, deceased chairman of Storebrand, a leadingNorwegian insurance company.

Mr. Storm started his career in insurance in 1978, when hejoined the Dutch insurer AGO. Subsequently, he was involved in themerger deal that created AEGON in 1983. Mr. Storm then went on tobecome the AEGON chairman in 1993.

Under Mr. Storm's management, AEGON has grown to become amultinational insurer with operations in North America, Europe,Taiwan, China and India. The society said Mr. Storm is also knownfor his early leadership and involvement in the issue of theHolocaust survivors' insurance claims.

Mr. Inokuchi has had a 39-year career in Japan's insuranceindustry, first as chairman and president of Mitsui Marine andcurrently as chairman and chief executive of the newly mergedMitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, currently one of Japan's largestinsurers.

The Society said Mr. Inokuchi is known for innovations in thederegulation of Japanese insurance markets and has played a majorrole in advocating the fairness and transparency of the Japanesemarket while being an active proponent of regional growth in Asiafor Japanese insurers.

Mr. Hansson, who died in 1993, was president of Storebrandduring World War II and its aftermath. Mr. Hansson helped developStorebrand's international business, including establishing thecompany in the U. S. and in Mexico. He also helped expandStorebrand to become the largest reinsurance company in LatinAmerica.

The Insurance Hall of Fame was instituted in 1957 by theGriffith Foundation for Insurance Education in Columbus, Ohio.

Currently the Hall of Fame is operated in New York by theInternational Insurance Society Inc., a non-profit educationalenterprise of insurance executives with 800 members from 50nations. The Hall of Fame, whose inductees are selected by membersof the International Insurance Society in a secret ballot, now has111 laureates from over 20 countries.

The Hall is located at the St. John's University School of RiskManagement on its Manhattan campus. The small display room containsfive computer terminals with monitors to display pictures of thehall membership. In addition there are portraits lining thewall.