Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, the leading global risk and reinsurance specialist, announced that it will be opening an office in Prague on March 1, 2008, to further develop business and serve clients based or conducting business in the Czech and Slovak Republics.  The new office will be part of Guy Carpenter’s Central and Eastern European broking operations.

The firm also announced the appointment to the new Prague office of Lubos Houska, as Czech market representative for Guy Carpenter Central and Eastern Europe. Mr. Houska has been reinsurance manager at CPP, part of the Vienna Insurance Group, since 2003.  Previously, he held the position of reinsurance manager at Ceska Pojistovna and Allianz Pojistovna in Prague.

“The opening of a local office in Prague is an important step in our further expansion into key Central and Eastern European markets,” said Andy Marcell, CEO of Guy Carpenter’s Continental European operations.  “Lubos’ 20 years of experience of the Czech and Slovak markets, as well as his extensive knowledge of the worldwide reinsurance marketplace, will be extremely valuable assets as we build on our capabilities across the Central European region."