Andy Bessette named Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The St. Paul Companies.

Business Editors

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2002

The St. Paul Companies (NYSE:SPC) announced today the appointment of Andy Bessette, 48, as senior vice president and chief administrative officer. Bessette will oversee Administrative Services, Corporate Communications, Community Affairs, Government Affairs and Telecommunications. He will report to Jay Fishman, chairman and chief executive officer. The appointment is effective immediately.

Bessette comes to The St. Paul from Travelers, where he was vice president of corporate real estate and corporate services. "Andy was instrumental in Travelers' success, and I am certain he will add significantly to The St. Paul," Fishman said.

Bessette began his career at the Sheraton Corporation in 1977 and joined Travelers in 1980. Of his 21-year career with Travelers, the past 11 years were in corporate real estate and corporate services, where he was named vice president in 1999.

Bessette is active in professional and community organizations, and last year was president of the International Development Research Corporation (IDRC). He co-chairs the Greater Hartford Growth Council, is a board member of IDRC, of CORENET Global, and is a corporator of St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Conn. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., and a master's degree from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I. Bessette and his family will be relocating to the Twin Cities at the end of this school year.

The St. Paul Companies, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minn., USA, provides commercial property-liability insurance and non-life reinsurance worldwide. For more information about The St. Paul and its products and services, visit the company's web site, www.stpaul.com.