Navigators Appoints New Zonal Vice Presidents

NEW YORK, NY, July 29, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NAVG) today announced that its principal underwriting agency subsidiary, Navigators Management Company, Inc. (NMC), has named Connie Taylor-McCray as Zonal Vice President for the western & central zones of the U.S. and Lynette Cardwell as Zonal Vice President for the southern & southeastern zones of the U.S. Based in Los Angeles, California, Connie replaces Henry A. Lopez, President of Specialty Professional Liability at NMC, who has until now also served as the Zonal Vice President of the western & central zones. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Lynette replaces Kevin P. Neumann, Head of a new Onshore Energy Liability unit at NMC, who has until now also served as the Zonal Vice President of the southern & southeastern zones.

"We're pleased to have both Connie and Lynette join our dynamic team," commented Vincent C. Tizzio, President & CEO of Navigators Management Company, Inc. "Navigators is known for its unparalleled service and specialty underwriting expertise, and Connie and Lynette will provide the continuity and direct decision-making access to which our brokers and agents have become accustomed."

Ms. Taylor-McCray was most recently Branch Vice President for CNA, working with CNA's commercial, business insurance and specialty operations in Los Angeles. She will be responsible for both open-brokerage and wholesale broker relationships in her zone, partnering with Noel Higgitt, Executive Vice President of Navigators Specialty, who will continue managing wholesale broker relationships nationally. The western and central zone in which Ms. Taylor-McCray will have responsibility includes the U.S. states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

Ms. Cardwell was most recently National Broker Relationship Leader for Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The southern & southeastern zone in which she will have responsibility includes the U.S. states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

The Navigators Group, Inc. is an international specialty insurance holding company with insurance company operations, underwriting management companies, and operations at Lloyd's. Headquartered in New York, Navigators has offices in major insurance centers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Whenever used in this release, the words "estimate," "expect," "believe," "may," "will," "intend," "continue" or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. We cannot assure that results that we anticipate will be achieved, since results may differ materially because of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that we face. Please refer to Navigators' most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a description of Navigators' business and the important factors that may affect that business. Navigators undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.

CONTACT: Taha Ebrahimi          (212) 613-4288          [email protected]www.navg.com

Source: The Navigators Group, Inc.