W. R. Berkley Corporation Announces Senior Executive Appointments

Robert W. Standen Named Executive Vice President

Scott A. Holbrook Appointed President of Key Risk Insurance

GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today announced the appointment of Robert W. Standen as executive vice president with oversight responsibility for certain of the Company’s operating units. Scott A. Holbrook will succeed Mr. Standen as president of Key Risk Insurance, a Berkley Company. The appointments are effective immediately.

Mr. Standen joined Key Risk Insurance in 2003 as executive vice president and chief claims officer and assumed the role of president in 2007. He has been instrumental in advancing the operating unit’s leadership position and expansion in the mono-line workers’ compensation segment. His professional designations include Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Claims (AIC) and Associate in Loss Control Management (ALCM) from the Insurance Institute of America. Mr. Standen earned his Masters of Business Administration degree from St. Joseph's University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from LaSalle University.

Mr. Holbrook has 25 years of experience in the commercial lines property casualty insurance business. He most recently served as the senior vice president for the Mid-Atlantic division of a leading global insurer. Mr. Holbrook holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business and is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

Commenting on the appointments, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., president and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said, “We are pleased to have Rob assume this new position. His deep knowledge of the property casualty insurance business and hands-on experience in managing one of our operating units will be invaluable to our corporate oversight activities. We welcome Scott to the team and are confident that his extensive underwriting background, operating experience and independent agent and broker relationships will enable him to lead the Key Risk team in building upon its success.”

Key Risk Insurance delivers innovative and responsive workers' compensation solutions that provide clients the freedom to do what they do best. With over 30 years of expertise and 100% focus on workers' compensation, Key Risk Insurance works with employers to enrich each client’s risk management strategies by creating and executing comprehensive solutions proven to protect people, support business and exceed expectations. For further information about Key Risk please visit www.KeyRisk.com.

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. For further information about W. R. Berkley Corporation, please visit www.berkley.com.

Products and services are provided by W. R. Berkley Corporation’s subsidiaries and “operating units”. Operating units are not typically legal entities, but for marketing purposes may sometimes be referred to individually as “a Berkley company” or collectively as “Berkley companies”.