Walter Kielholz, who joined Swiss Re, Switzerland, in 1989, is Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of that firm. Mr. Kielholz's accomplishments include changing an existing conglomerate of direct and reinsurance companies in various parts of the world into a powerful global organization with a strong focus in reinsurance. He successfully integrated many corporations into the Swiss Re fold, including Mercantile & General, Life Re Corporation and Lincoln Re. He expanded the firm into the financial services market with a goal of gaining a foothold in banking and bridging a gap between reinsurance and banking. He also acquired a London-based investment bank, Fox-Pitt, Kelton Group, which contributed to his strategy of aligning insurance and other financial products. Swiss Re plays a leading role globally with new and innovative solutions in structured financial products. Among many other innovations, he has created a strong product management ethic and Swiss Re today has a world-class reputation for expert know-how and skills.