W. R. Berkley Corporation
Leadership History
2 leaders · 1967 to present
W. Robert Berkley, Jr. is the CEO of W. R. Berkley, in the role since 2015.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W. Robert Berkley, Jr. | Chairman, President and CEO | 2015 | Present | 11 |
| William R. Berkley | Founder and Executive Chairman | 1967 | 2026 | 59 |
W. R. Berkley is a U.S. specialty commercial insurer based in Greenwich, Connecticut and listed on the NYSE under WRB. It reported FY2025 total revenues of $14.71B.
W. R. Berkley collects premiums for commercial insurance and reinsurance, pays claims over time, and invests the money it holds in the meantime. The Insurance segment writes other liability, short-tail lines (such as commercial multi-peril property, inland marine, accident and health, surety and high net worth homeowners), commercial auto, workers' compensation and professional liability. The Reinsurance & Monoline Excess segment writes casualty and property reinsurance plus monoline excess coverage. Underwriting is handled by many separate operating units that focus on particular industries, products or regions, while the parent company provides capital, risk oversight and investment management. In the first six months of 2026, net premiums earned were $6.30B and net investment income was $823.0M, out of total revenues of $7.41B.
Chairman, President and CEO
2015 – Present
11 years (current)
He became CEO in 2015 and now also serves as chairman after his father's death in June 2026.
Leads the company's cycle-management approach. In Q2 2026 that meant growing Insurance segment premiums 5.4% while Reinsurance & Monoline Excess premiums declined, and returning $334.1M to shareholders in the quarter.
Founder and Executive Chairman
1967 – 2026
59 years
Berkley executed the absolutely brilliant, highly strategic decision to exclusively target 'Excess and Surplus' (E&S) lines, aggressively insuring incredibly bizarre, high-risk businesses that standard insurers terrified of touching.
As the legendary Founder (who started the company while studying at Harvard Business School in 1967), he built an absolutely massive, highly profitable specialty insurance empire, famously refusing to compete on price during soft markets.
The company has to keep pricing ahead of claims-cost inflation and litigation trends in long-tail liability lines, and it has to manage catastrophe losses in its property business. On the Q2 2026 earnings call, management said competition was getting tougher in parts of the property and reinsurance markets. Reserve development in casualty lines and swings in investment markets are also ongoing risks.
W. Robert Berkley, Jr. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, serving as CEO since October 2015.
Rob Berkley, Jr. joined the company in 1997 after working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch; he served in senior corporate and reinsurance operating roles before being named President and COO in 2009 and CEO in 2015.
Founder William R. Berkley served as Chief Executive Officer for 48 years, from founding the company in 1967 until stepping down in October 2015, continuing as Executive Chairman of the Board.
Under Rob Berkley, Jr., the company expanded net written premiums from $6 billion to over $12 billion, maintained industry-leading combined ratios sub-90%, and drove the stock to multiple all-time highs.
Richard M. Baio serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, having joined the firm in 2009 after senior financial leadership roles at Merrill Lynch.
The Berkley family retains substantial equity ownership in the corporation, aligning executive decision-making directly with long-term shareholder value and risk conservatism.
Executive leadership operates from the company's corporate headquarters campus on Steamboat Road in Greenwich, Connecticut.
He is focused on leveraging proprietary underwriting data, expanding high-margin excess and surplus lines, launching new specialty greenfield units, and maintaining disciplined capital management.
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