W. R. Berkley: Insurance Provider Extraordinaire

W. R. Berkley Corporation, a Fortune 500 company listed in the New York Stock Exchange (Ticker symbol: WRB) and based in Greenwich, Connecticut in the United States, is among the world’s major commercial lines property and casualty insurance holding companies. With total revenues of US$5.82 billion in 2012, the corporation continues to grow its client base and market share; of the $5.82 billion, $3.94 billion was generated by the insurance-domestic segment, $732 million by the Reinsurance-Global segment, and $678 million by the Insurance-International segment.

The three abovementioned segments, which are briefly described below, are in W.R. Berkley’s property insurance sector:

• Insurance-Domestic segment includes surplus and excess lines as well as admitted lines in the United States;
• Insurance-International segment includes the insurance business in the Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, South America, and Australia;
• Reinsurance-Global segment is on a treaty and facultative basis with operations mainly in the United States, Europe, United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific region, and Australia.

As of 2015, W. R. Berkley Corporation has 51 operating units. Of these units, 44 units have been developed within the corporation (i.e., internally), while 7 have been added by acquisition.

William R. Berkley founded the corporation and currently serves as its Executive Chairman as of 2015. His son, William Robert Berkley, Jr., is the President and Chief Executive Officer.

W. R. Berkley Corporation prides itself on its core values, which have sustained it through the global financial crisis, among other business challenges. The business is well-known for its passionate commitment to accountability, its strong sense of fiduciary responsibility to its stockholders, and its people-oriented strategy. The corporation also manages its risks with a proactive approach, which is manifested in its strong balance sheet, stable investment portfolio, and ample resources for business growth when the right opportunities are discovered as well as ensuring superior risk-adjusted returns.