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W. R. Berkley Corporation Announces Senior Executive Appointment and Promotion

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Wednesday, April 20th 2011 at 15:20 GMT by Market Wire}  

GREENWICH, Conn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today announced the appointment of Peter L. Kamford, senior vice president, to a newly created position and named Philip S. Welt senior vice president. Mr. Welt will have oversight responsibility for the Companya™s operating units that were previously overseen by Mr. Kamford. Mr. Kamforda™s new responsibility will be to co-head the placement of the Companya™s ceded reinsurance programs along with senior vice president Robert W. Gosselink.

"We are proud of the strength our management and expect that these changes in responsibilities for each of Peter and Phil will contribute to the long-term success of our enterprise."

Mr. Welt began his tenure with W. R. Berkley Corporation in 2004 and has served as vice president a" senior counsel. Previously, he was an assistant general counsel a" mergers and acquisitions at a major international insurer and a corporate associate with the New York law offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell. Mr. Welt is also a certified public accountant and was a senior manager at the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. He holds a J.D. from New York University, and also received an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a B.B.A. from Hofstra University.

Mr. Kamford has served as senior vice president since 2005, working with several of the Companya™s admitted specialty lines operating units. He has over 30 years of experience in property casualty reinsurance, previously serving as managing director of Guy Carpenter & Company where he was responsible as a reinsurance intermediary for placement of significant reinsurance programs.

William R. Berkley, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said: aWe are proud of the strength our management and expect that these changes in responsibilities for each of Peter and Phil will contribute to the long-term success of our enterprise.a

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 in five segments of the property casualty insurance business: specialty insurance, regional property casualty insurance, alternative markets, reinsurance, and international.