W. R. Berkley Corporation Appoints C. Fred Madsen Senior Vice President - Reinsurance Operations

Mr. Madsen, 52, has 28 years of experience in the property andcasualty insurance industry. Most recently, he was executive vicepresident of Benfield, concentrating on the specialty marketplace.Prior to joining Benfield, Mr. Madsen was president of XL Re America,where he oversaw broker and direct sales, reinsurance underwriting andassociated operations. He received a B.A. in history from St. John'sUniversity.

William R. Berkley, the Company's chairman of the board and chiefexecutive officer, said: "We are pleased to have someone of Fred'sstature and caliber join us. Fred brings extensive experience in theinsurance and reinsurance marketplace to our management team."

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holdingcompany that is among the largest commercial lines writers in theUnited States and operates in five segments of the property casualtyinsurance business: specialty insurance, regional property casualtyinsurance, alternative markets, reinsurance, and international.