W. R. Berkley Corporation Names Dennis J. Levesque President of Preferred Employers Insurance

Steven A. Gallacher Appointed Chairman

GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today announced the appointment of Dennis J. Levesque as president of Preferred Employers Insurance, a Berkley Company. He succeeds Steven A. Gallacher, who has been appointed chairman of Preferred Employers Insurance. The appointments are effective immediately.

Mr. Levesque has over 30 years of experience in the property casualty insurance business. He is a proven leader in underwriting, distribution and operations, most recently serving as the president of the regional insurance segment of a leading U.S. insurer. With 15 years of his career based in San Diego, Mr. Levesque and his family are looking forward to returning to the area. Mr. Levesque holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics and holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and a Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) designations.

Mr. Gallacher joined Preferred Employers Insurance as president in 2010 and has been instrumental in advancing the operating unit’s position as a leading specialty workers’ compensation insurance provider in California through outstanding workplace injury prevention and medical management. He will continue to support Mr. Levesque and the Preferred Employers Insurance team throughout the transition, as well as other Berkley initiatives and activities.

Commenting on the appointment, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., president and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said, “Under Steve’s leadership, the Preferred Employers Insurance team has honed their ability to assist California businesses identify workplace risks, prevent workplace injuries and provide quick access to the highest quality medical professionals available when an injury does occur. We thank Steve for his many contributions to this success and are fortunate that he will continue to share his considerable knowledge and expertise with Dennis and the team throughout the transition and Berkley more broadly. Dennis’s extensive underwriting experience and expertise in the California market will be tremendous assets as he leads Preferred Employers to the next level.”

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates worldwide in two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess.