W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley

Commercial insurance underwriting, reinsurance, and investments

Chief Claims Officer

Full-TimeDeadline 7/23/27
$250k - $275k/yr

+ Annual discretionary bonus

Expert
Bachelor's, JD
Moorestown, NJ, USA
Hybrid

Hybrid work arrangement indicated.

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree is required.
  • Fifteen or more years of claims leadership experience with progressive responsibility is required.
  • Expertise across casualty lines, including General Liability, Product Liability, Supported and Unsupported Excess, Professional Liability, and Construction Defect, is required.
  • A proven background in large loss management, mediation strategy, and complex settlement negotiations is required.
  • Demonstrated financial acumen in budgeting, loss cost analysis, and evaluating cost-benefit outcomes for initiatives and projects is required.
  • The role requires strong interpersonal, presentation, negotiation, and consultative skills.
  • The role requires effective communication across all organizational levels and with external partners.
  • The role requires strong organizational and prioritization skills.
  • The role requires the ability to develop and implement effective audit processes for consistent, high-quality claims performance.
  • The role requires identifying patterns and underlying drivers within complex data sets and turning insights into actionable strategies.
  • The role requires executing strategic priorities while managing complex claims, negotiating outcomes, and overseeing team activities.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the development, refinement, and execution of a comprehensive claims strategy aligned with enterprise objectives, partnering with the President and leaders in Underwriting, Actuarial, and Finance.
  • Evaluate existing strategies and operating models to identify opportunities for modernization, operational efficiency, and improved claim outcomes.
  • Advise the Senior Leadership Team on emerging loss trends, regulatory developments, market shifts, and strategic implications for the business.
  • Ensure timely, fair, and consistent claims handling through disciplined adherence to internal claims best practices.
  • Oversee the establishment and maintenance of appropriate and timely claim reserves, reinforcing reserve accuracy in support of rate adequacy and financial performance.
  • Lead the development and continuous enhancement of claims programs, performance metrics, operational frameworks, and compliance controls.
  • Champion the use of predictive analytics, technology, and automation to advance decision quality, improve operational efficiency, and reduce loss costs.
  • Drive cost containment strategies, including ALAE and ULAE, in partnership with Finance and other business leaders.
  • Collaborate across Underwriting, Actuarial, Finance, and other critical functions to align market intelligence, legal changes, loss trends, and strategic assumptions.
  • Communicate claims performance, key developments, and major losses to brokers, reinsurers, and other stakeholders.
  • Oversee litigation management practices, including panel counsel selection, performance monitoring, and adherence to established metrics.
  • Oversee detailed legal-bill reviews using appropriate tools and methodologies to optimize costs and ensure quality representation.
  • Participate in mediations, arbitrations, depositions, and trials when executive-level presence or decision-making is required.
  • Provide vision, direction, and executive leadership to the Claims organization.
  • Lead people-management activities, including hiring, workforce planning, coaching, performance management, and succession development.
  • Build talent bench strength by upskilling team members and creating a pipeline of claims professionals.
  • Set expectations, provide feedback, and create conditions that motivate the team to achieve peak performance.
  • Create the Claims annual budget, operational objectives, and performance goals.
  • Ensure full regulatory compliance and immediately report regulatory inquiries while coordinating appropriate responses.
  • Maintain disciplined audits, operational reviews, and internal controls to validate effectiveness and consistency across the claims function.
  • Perform strategic duties or enterprise assignments requested by the President.
  • Identify opportunities to enhance claims operations, workflows, systems integration, and organizational efficiency.
Desired Qualifications
  • A Juris Doctor is strongly preferred.
  • An advanced degree is a plus.

About the company

W. R. Berkley provides commercial property and casualty insurance and reinsurance worldwide. It underwrites through two segments: Insurance with 53 operating units offering lines like excess and surplus, commercial auto, and workers’ compensation; and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess which writes reinsurance and excess policies for other insurers and self-insured entities. Revenue comes from premiums on insurance and reinsurance contracts and from investment income, supporting risk transfer and market capacity. The goal is to deliver steady underwriting results and financial returns for shareholders by serving a broad client base across many industries.

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Greenwich, Connecticut

Founded

1967

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q2 2026 gross premiums written hit a record $4.1 billion, up year over year.
  • AM Best upgraded W. R. Berkley on June 25, 2026 to 'a' and 'aa'.
  • Berkley Meridian launched August 18, 2026, expanding construction, liability, and wholesale E&S distribution.

What critics are saying

  • Berkley sued Trisura on June 30, 2026 over additional-insured defense wording.
  • Reinsurance gross premiums fell in Q2 2026, exposing Berkley Re to pricing pressure.
  • A major catastrophe or reserve shock can erase specialty-margin gains and pressure capital.

What makes W.R. Berkley unique

  • 53 operating units underwrite niche commercial risks across 10 regions, preserving local pricing power.
  • Berkley specializes in E&S and specialty commercial lines, not commoditized personal insurance.
  • Decades of disciplined underwriting produced AM Best upgrades and 18.6% Q2 2026 ROE.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Wellness Program

Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan

Profit Sharing

Annual Bonus Potential

Company News

Business Wire
Sep 10th, 2026
W. R. Berkley declares 10 cent quarterly dividend, payable 30 September

W. R. Berkley Corporation has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share on its common stock. The dividend will be paid on 30 September 2026 to stockholders of record at the close of business on 21 September 2026. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company and one of the largest commercial lines writers in the United States. The company operates two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess.

Business Wire
Aug 18th, 2026
W. R. Berkley forms Berkley Meridian through merger of Verus and Vela Insurance

W. R. Berkley Corporation has formed Berkley Meridian, a new specialty insurance business combining Verus Specialty Insurance and Vela Insurance Services. Marlo M. Morrison will serve as president of the new entity. The business will unite underwriting capabilities and expertise across construction, professional liability, garage, casualty, and other specialty lines, focusing on the excess and surplus wholesale broker market. Integration has begun and is expected to continue into early 2027. Morrison joined Verus Specialty Insurance as president in 2019, bringing nearly 30 years of property and casualty insurance experience. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said the combination will allow the company to leverage expertise and provide a broader suite of solutions. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States.

Reinsurance News
Jul 28th, 2026
Robert R. Coyne, Jr. to succeed Daniel R. Westcott as President of Berkley Re America.

Robert R. Coyne, Jr. to succeed Daniel R. Westcott as President of Berkley Re America. 28th July 2026 - Author: Saumya Jain - Insurance holding company W. R. Berkley Corporation has appointed Daniel R. Westcott as Executive Vice President (EVP), as Robert R. Coyne Jr. succeeds him as President of Berkley Re America, while Robert C. Hewitt has been named Chairman of Berkley Re. All appointments are effective immediately. Berkley Re is a global reinsurer comprising Berkley Re America, Berkley Re UK, Berkley Re Solutions, Berkley Re Australia, and Berkley Re Asia. Westcott joined Berkley Re America as president in 2019, and has nearly three decades of experience in the property casualty reinsurance market. Coyne joined Berkley in 2006 and became Senior Vice President of Berkley Re America in 2010. He also has over three decades of experience in the property casualty reinsurance business. Hewitt joined Berkley in 2002 as Senior Vice President for risk management and was named EVP of the firm in 2016. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of W. R. Berkley Corporation, commented on the appointments, "Rob, Dan, and Rob have all provided outstanding leadership within Berkley for many years. Dan's skills and broad experience in the reinsurance market, as well as his extensive knowledge of its organisation, will serve Reinsurance Group well as he takes on oversight of its assumed reinsurance businesses. "With deep expertise in developing reinsurance solutions for customers, Rob Coyne is very well-positioned to lead Berkley Re America forward to build upon its success. Rob Hewitt has made extraordinary contributions to Berkley during his tenure, and we are deeply appreciative of his leadership, judgment, and unwavering commitment to the Company." He continued, "He has been a trusted colleague and valued leader, and we are especially pleased, both personally and professionally, that we will continue to benefit from his extensive experience and expertise." Last week, for its second quarter 2026 results, W. R. Berkley reported a new record for gross written premiums (GWP) of $4.1 billion.

Business Wire
Jul 28th, 2026
Christopher Moede named president of Berkley Risk as Jack Goodwin moves to chairman

W. R. Berkley Corporation has appointed Christopher L. Moede as president of Berkley Risk, effective immediately. He succeeds John Goodwin, who has been named chairman of the business. Moede brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the commercial insurance market. Most recently, he led a global underwriting segment at a major multinational insurer. Goodwin joined Berkley Risk in 2012, serving as executive vice president before becoming president in 2014. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, welcomed Moede's leadership skills and experience in developing risk solutions. He thanked Goodwin for his exceptional service and contributions. Berkley Risk provides at-risk and alternative risk insurance programme management services for public entity pools, professional associations, and self-insured clients.

Yahoo Finance
Jul 20th, 2026
W. R. Berkley misses Q2 revenue estimates but beats profit forecasts by 17.3%

W. R. Berkley, a property casualty insurer, missed revenue expectations in Q2 CY2026, with sales rising just 1.2% year-on-year to $3.72 billion, falling short of the $3.77 billion analyst estimate. The company's net premiums earned reached $3.19 billion, roughly in line with expectations. However, W. R. Berkley exceeded profit forecasts, reporting non-GAAP earnings of $1.27 per share, beating analyst consensus by 17.3%. The combined ratio of 90% also outperformed estimates of 91.4%. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley operates through over 50 specialised insurance units globally. The company has demonstrated strong long-term performance, with 11.1% annualised revenue growth over the past five years, though recent growth has moderated to 7.8% over the last two years.