Naperville, Illinois, November 10, 2016 — Berkley Program Specialists, together with Specialty Program Solutions (SPS), recently created a new inland marine program to help protect mobile equipment and machinery used by logging, lumbering and construction companies located in the Southeast.

Coverage for first party physical damage is extended to trade-specific items such as skidders, feller bunchers, log loaders, delimbers, chippers, backhoes, bulldozers and excavators. Eligible risks include chipping operations, land clearing operations, woodyards, sawmills, timber dealers, grading/excavation contractors, general contractors and developers among others.

“With the focus and attention that Berkley Program Specialists offers to niches like this, we are confident we have the right provider to help build a market leading program in short order. And we’ve already seen success as a result of their familiarity with the class and the flexibility they’ve demonstrated,” said Jeff Vaughn, Vice President of Specialty Program Solutions.

“When you handle this business all day every day like SPS, you master it and that’s exactly the type of expertise you want when the risks are this unique,” said Greg Douglas, President of Berkley Program Specialists. “They are incredibly focused and service-oriented which shows in the long-standing relationships they have developed with agents and clients.”

About Berkley Program Specialists: Berkley Program Specialists, a W. R. Berkley Company^®, is a leading insurance operation dedicated exclusively to program business.  Berkley Program Specialists provides program administrators with underwriting authority and access to admitted and non-admitted A.M. Best A+ rated insurance paper, as well as program management expertise, and, when required, reinsurance support. For more information, please visit www.berkley-ps.com.

About Specialty Program Solutions: Specialty Program Solutions (SPS) is a program administrator and managing general agent headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. SPS underwrites insurance coverage solely for inland marine risks. In addition to its flagship program for logging and contractors equipment in the  Southeast, SPS serves agents and customers nationwide for a wide variety of other classes including builder’s risk, fine arts and transportation among others. For more information, please visit www.spsins.com.

Products and services are provided by one or more insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation.  Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and the precise coverage afforded by any insurer is subject to the actual terms and conditions of the policies as issued.  Certain coverages may be provided through surplus lines insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation through licensed surplus lines brokers.  Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

Greenwich, Connecticut, August 31, 2016 — W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) today announced that Gregory A. Douglas, president of Berkley Re Direct, will undertake the additional responsibility of president of Berkley Program Specialists. The appointment is effective immediately.

Mr. Douglas joined W. R. Berkley Corporation as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Berkley Re Direct in 2010. He was appointed president of the operating unit in 2013 and will remain in this role in addition to his new responsibilities at Berkley Program Specialists. Prior to joining W. R. Berkley Corporation, Mr. Douglas held various senior positions with leading property and casualty insurers and global reinsurers. He graduated with a B.A. from Iowa State University and has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry with significant specialty experience.

W. Robert Berkley, Jr., president and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said: “Greg is an outstanding industry leader with expertise in developing strong client relationships by delivering value-added services – elements that are critical to success in the program business. He has worked closely with Berkley Program Specialists for many years. While these two operating units will remain independent, they will both benefit from his expertise and leadership.”

Based in Naperville, IL, Berkley Program Specialists is a program management company offering both admitted and non-admitted insurance support on a nationwide basis for commercial casualty and inland marine program administrators with specialized insurance expertise. For further information about the products and services available from Berkley Program Specialists, please visit www.berkley-ps.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 business: Insurance and Reinsurance.

Naperville, Illinois, September 13, 2013 — Berkley Underwriting Partners, a W. R. Berkley Company, today announced that it has changed its name to Berkley Program Specialists. The change better reflects the Company’s sole focus on program business and the importance of its program administrator relationships.

Berkley Program Specialists will continue to be led by the same senior leadership team of program specialists, who are unrivaled in the industry for longevity and stability. “We decided to change our name to better reflect what we do,” commented John Diem, president and chief executive officer of Berkley Program Specialists. “Our sole focus is program business. Our stability and responsive service will not change.”

About Berkley Program Specialists: Founded in 2001, the Berkley Program Specialists currently has 16 programs in the following industry verticals: specialty contractors, niche liability, public transportation, commercial auto, agriculture, equine, specialized inland marine, and hospitality.

Berkley Program Specialists, a W. R. Berkley Company, is a leading program management company offering both admitted and non-admitted insurance support for commercial program administrators and in-house program managers with specialized insurance expertise. We underwrite on behalf of Gemini Insurance Company, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best, for non-admitted purposes and StarNet Insurance Company, also rated A+ (Superior ) by A.M. Best, for admitted markets. For additional information, please visit www.bupllc.com.