News Room

October 5, 2006

Assurant Specialty Property Promotes Gene Mergelmeyer to Executive Vice President

ATLANTA: Assurant Specialty Property, leading provider of creditor-placed homeowners insurance and outsourcing services to the U.S. mortgage industry, announced that Gene Mergelmeyer, president and business leader for the Lending Solutions business, has been promoted to executive vice president, effective immediately.

Assurant Specialty Property is part of Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ), a premier provider of specialty insurance and insurance-related products and services.

John B. Owen, president and chief executive officer of Assurant Specialty Property, said, “This promotion recognizes Gene’s focus on building strong, lasting relationships with our clients, the long-term profitable growth of the business, as well as growing the management and leadership talent within the organization.”  In 2005, the Lending Solutions business — creditor-placed and voluntary homeowners insurance — accounted for more than half of Specialty Property’s $859 million of net earned premiums and other considerations.  Owen said Mergelmeyer also played a key role in Assurant’s recent acquisition and integration of Safeco Financial Institutions Solutions, Inc.

Mergelmeyer has over 26 years experience in financial services and insurance.  He joined a predecessor of Assurant Specialty Property in 1997 when that company acquired Insureco, Inc., which he had served as executive vice president and chief financial officer.  He previously held management positions at a division of Transamerica and public accountants Peat Marwick (now KPMG).

Mergelmeyer is based in Orange, Calif., and lives with his family in Southern California.

About Assurant Specialty Property

Assurant Specialty Property businesses are leading providers of creditor-placed homeowners insurance, collateral protection programs and related outsourcing services. They develop, underwrite, market and administer specialty property and personal lines of insurance through collaborative relationships with leading home mortgage companies, manufactured home builders and dealers, auto finance companies, property management companies and managing general agents. Assurant Specialty Property serves clients and their customers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Assurant Specialty Property is part of Assurant, a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and selected international markets. Its four key businesses - Assurant Employee Benefits, Assurant Health, Assurant Solutions and Assurant Specialty Property - partner with clients who are leaders in their industries and who have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments worldwide.

Assurant, a Fortune 500 company, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. Assurant has over $20 billion in assets and $7 billion in annual revenue. www.assurant.com

Media Contact:

James A. Sykes
Assurant Specialty Property
260 Interstate N. Circle, SE
Atlanta, Ga. 30339-2110
Telephone: 770.763.1015
FAX: 770.859.4325
E-mail: james.sykes@assurant.com