PEMBROKE, Bermuda, Apr 20, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: RNR) today announced the RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Mitigation from the 2011 National Hurricane Conference on April 19^th in Atlanta, GA. The award recognized the RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation's sponsorship of its series of five Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums as an "outstanding and innovative achievement, worthy of emulation by others around the country."

Accepting the award, Stephen Weinstein, Chairman of the RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of RenaissanceRe said: "RenaissanceRe is proud of our long-term commitment and contributions to risk mitigation through awareness efforts like the series of Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums. Our company firmly believes that mitigation is the best way to foster safer, more disaster-resistant communities, reduce insurance premium costs over time, and - most importantly - reduce the risk of loss of life in catastrophe prone regions."

Neill Currie, Chief Executive Officer of RenaissanceRe, said: "Our business goal has always been to offer innovative and creative solutions for the risks facing our clients and the communities they serve. By directly supporting outreach initiatives such as Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums and StormStruck at Epcot(R) at Walt Disney World(R), and mitigation research programs such as the RenaissanceRe Wall of Wind and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety Research Center, we are able to better inform and enhance the products and services we have provided our customers since 1993."

Since 2008, the RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation has organized and sponsored a series of five Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums, alongside these secondary sponsors: RenaissanceRe's affiliate, WeatherPredict Consulting Inc., and non-profit organizations the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). The five Forums have hosted almost 2,000 attendees and 150 world class keynote and panel speakers, and have included the:

• Texas Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum (June 2010 in Austin, TX)
• Safe Homes for all Leadership Forum (June 2009) in Washington, D.C.)
• Hurricane Science for Safety Forum (December 2008 in Orlando, FL)
• Northeast Hurricane Mitigation Leadership Forum (July 2008 in Newport, R.I.)
• Hurricane Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum (February 2008 in Orlando, FL)

By underwriting all event expenses related to these conferences, RenaissanceRe ensures that attendance to the Forums is free to all. Speakers donate their time and expertise and foster an open dialogue to help advance the conversation about mitigation. The Foundation is currently organizing a sixth "Seismic Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum" on May 2-3, 2011 in San Francisco, CA to examine mitigation best practices, public policy efforts, communication success stories, and earthquake risk research. The Leadership Forum organizers also offer tailored focused briefings to government agencies and others engaged in disaster safety management or oversight. For more information on the Forums, including past presentations and speaker bios, please visit: http://www.mitigationleadership.com.

About RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. is a global provider of reinsurance and insurance. The Company's business consists of three segments: (1) Reinsurance, which includes catastrophe reinsurance, specialty reinsurance and certain property catastrophe and specialty joint ventures, (2) Lloyd's, which includes reinsurance and insurance business written through RenaissanceRe Syndicate 1458, and (3) Insurance, which principally includes the Company's Bermuda-based insurance operations. For more information, visit: http://www.renre.com.

About the RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation

RenaissanceRe created the RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation to support advanced scientific research in natural catastrophes, the development of risk mitigation and adaptive techniques to safeguard communities, efforts that reduce the economic turmoil following disasters, and organizations that preserve coastal and other risk-exposed habitats. The Foundation promotes education, preparation, adaptation and mitigation of catastrophic risks through a number of activities, including the Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum Series, StormStruck -a popular exhibit at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot(R) at the Walt Disney World(R) Resort, the RenaissanceRe Wall of Wind, as a major donor for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS)'s Research Center, and as a national partner for the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH). For more information, visit: http://www.mitigationleadership.com.

About the National Hurricane Conference

The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference is to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives and property in the United States and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific. In addition, the conference serves as a national forum for U.S. federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve Emergency Management. For more information, visit: http://www.hurricanemeeting.com.

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SOURCE: RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.

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