June 26, 2006
Queens, NY -
St. John’s University President, Rev. Donald J.
Harrington, C.M., will travel to Bermuda on June 30 to confer
honorary degrees upon three prominent insurance industry leaders.
Sir John Vereker, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda, will
host the conferral of degrees at the Governor’s House.
The honorary degrees are to be conferred upon:
- Brian Duperreault, Chairman of ACE Limited a
global leader in insurance and reinsurance, to receive the honorary
degree of Doctor of Commercial Science
- Brian M. O’Hara, President and Chief Executive
Officer of XL Capital LTD. and Chairman of XL Insurance (Bermuda)
LTD, leading global provider of insurance, reinsurance and
financial products and services, to receive the honorary degree of
Doctor of Commercial Science
- Joseph Smetana, retired Vice President of
American International Group, Inc., the world’s leading
international insurance and financial services organization, to
receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Commercial Science
Mr. Smetana serves on the St. John’s University Board of
Governors and on the Executive Advisory Council of the School of Risk Management,
Insurance and Actuarial Science (SRM) while Mr. O’Hara and Mr.
Duperreault are members of the St. John’s University Board of
Overseers of SRM.
“St. John’s University is honored to bestow degrees upon three
of Bermuda’s outstanding corporate citizens, Brian Duperreault,
Brian M. O’Hara and Joseph Smetana. Each of these honorees
has helped to guide and shape St. John’s University’s School of
Risk Management into a leading institution in the field of
insurance and risk management.” said Rev. Harrington. “We are
pleased to celebrate not only their outstanding professional
accomplishments but also their support and loyalty to St. John’s
University.”
The conferral of degrees in Bermuda (one of the UK’s oldest
colonies dating back to the 1600’s) will be a landmark event for
St. John’s University. Governor Vereker, appointed by Queen
Elizabeth II on the advice of the British government, has served
the overseas territory of the United Kingdom on the Atlantic Ocean
since 2002.
“We are also indebted to the Governor of Bermuda for his
hospitality in hosting this historic event,” added Rev.
Harrington.
For more information contact Dominic Scianna, Director of Media
Relations, St. John’s University at (718) 990-6185 or e-mail
inquiries to sciannad@stjohns.edu.