- CEO
- William Robert Berkley Jr.
- Full Time Employees
- 8,606
- Sector
- Financial Services
- Industry
- Insurance - Property & Casualty
- Address
- 475 Steamboat Road Greenwich CT United States of America 06830
- IPO Date
- Oct 23, 1973
- Business
- W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that ranks among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates a decentralized network of over 55 specialized insurance businesses worldwide. The company provides property and casualty insurance products and services through its two primary segments: Insurance, which underwrites commercial lines including other liability, short-tail lines such as commercial multi-peril and inland marine, auto, workers' compensation, and professional liability; and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess, which offers reinsurance on casualty, property, and certain program management business as well as monoline excess coverage. These offerings target middle-market businesses, specialty risks, and hard-to-place accounts across industries like construction, energy, infrastructure, and professional services, with specialized units such as Berkley Construction Solutions delivering excess casualty up to $25 million limits and in-house claims management.
The company's operating units underwrite on behalf of affiliated insurance companies, emphasizing disciplined pricing, conservative reserving, and expertise in complex risks including general liability, product liability, excess and umbrella, aviation, surety, hospital professional liability, and alternative risk transfer mechanisms like self-insurance programs. Berkley serves diverse customers including commercial firms, governmental entities, and small to mid-sized businesses through brokers and direct channels, with a global footprint spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, South America, Canada, Mexico, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia, and South Africa.
Founded in 1967 and headquartered at 475 Steamboat Road in Greenwich, Connecticut, W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) maintains superior financial strength, with member companies rated A+ (Superior) XV by A.M. Best and A+ (Strong) by S&P, alongside its status as a Fortune 500 company and S&P 500 member.
Recent strategic developments include Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance's agreement to acquire a 15% stake in the company for approximately $3.8-$4 billion through open market and private transactions, expected to finalize within the 2025 Japanese fiscal year ending March 2026, enhancing international collaboration while the Berkley family retains control. In August 2025, the company launched Berkley Edge, a new unit providing professional liability and casualty insurance for small to mid-sized businesses in the excess and surplus lines market, led by President Jamie Secor. Additionally, in 2025, Berkley Insurance Company established an IFSC branch in GIFT City, Gujarat, India, to expand in the Asia region under CEO Unnati Bajpai, alongside the formation of Berkley Embedded Solutions. The company continues share repurchases, acquiring 850,000 shares for $49.2 million in the first half of 2025, and reported record Q2 2025 net premiums written of $3.4 billion with a 19.1% return on equity.