PEMBROKE, Bermuda, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd (NYSE: AWH) today announced that it will open a branch office in Zug, Switzerland that offers reinsurance products throughout Europe and beyond. The office, located at Lindenstrasse 4, 6340 Zug/Baar, will officially open on October 1, 2008.

John Redmond, President of Allied World Europe said, 'As part of our constant efforts to promote growth and accessibility to our clients, we are proud to announce a new Swiss office. Switzerland is an established, mature reinsurance hub and a central location to service the rest of the continent. We look forward to this next step in building out Allied World's European operations.'

Marie-Laure Queneuder, Vice President, International Treaty Reinsurance, will be responsible for developing and managing Allied World's Swiss reinsurance operations. Ms. Queneuder, formerly based in Allied World's Bermuda headquarters, will now be based in Zug and will continue to work closely with Clare Himmer, Senior Vice President, International Treaty Reinsurance, located in Bermuda.

'We are excited to have a physical presence in Switzerland,' said Ms. Queneuder. 'In addition to the build out of our U.S.