W. R. Berkley Corporation Names Carrie H. Cheshier President of Berkley North Pacific

Gary Gudex Appointed as Chairman

GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today announced the appointment of Carrie H. Cheshier as president of Berkley North Pacific, a Berkley Company. She succeeds Gary Gudex, who has been named chairman. The appointments are effective immediately.

Ms. Cheshier comes to Berkley North Pacific with over 30 years of demonstrated success in the insurance industry with extensive experience in leadership, distribution management, underwriting, operations and claims. She most recently served as a regional president for a leading national insurer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration/management from Weber State University and the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Associate in Management (AIM) designations.

Mr. Gudex has been a long-standing member of the Berkley team, having served as both director of underwriting at Berkley Net and later as president of Berkley North Pacific. Under his leadership, Berkley North Pacific has grown profitably, solidifying its position as a prominent provider of commercial lines insurance in the Pacific Northwest. As chairman, he will continue to work with the team throughout the transition and remain in an advisory role for the group overall.

Commenting on the appointment, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., president and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said, “We thank Gary for his exceptional contributions during his tenure of service to Berkley, especially for the strong leadership he brought to Berkley North Pacific. Carrie brings great expertise in all aspects of the business to our organization that will further enhance our opportunities for profitable growth in this important region. We are couldn’t be more pleased to have her join our team.”

Berkley North Pacific is a regional commercial property and casualty insurance provider that offers local underwriting, claims, and risk management services through independent agents in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah. BNP provides solutions for a large variety of standard businesses and including light manufacturing, real estate, retail/wholesale, construction and agricultural sectors. For further information about Berkley North Pacific and the products and services it offers, please visit www.berkleynpac.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.wrberkley.com.