W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today announced the appointment of Timothy J. Nelligan as president of Continental Western Group, a Berkley Company (“CWG”). The appointment is effective immediately.

Mr. Nelligan joins CWG with nearly 30 years of experience in the property casualty insurance industry. He is an accomplished leader of both agencies and underwriting divisions for a major property and casualty insurance carrier, with experience in underwriting, sales, operational planning and execution, and corporate strategy development and implementation. He holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in finance and management from Northern Illinois University and is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

Commenting on the appointment W. Robert Berkley, Jr., president and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said, “We are excited to welcome Tim to Berkley. He is a dynamic leader with a strong track record of outstanding results. CWG has been the strong, local and trusted choice for independent insurance agents and customers throughout its territory for over 130 years. Tim joins an exceptional team at CWG, and together, they have the expertise and experience to continue delivering a superior customer experience and profitability as we look to the future.”

Continental Western Group offers a broad array of commercial insurance products for businesses in 13 states. Please visit www.cwgins.com for more information.

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.berkley.com.

Products and services are provided by W. R. Berkley Corporation’s subsidiaries and “operating units”. Operating units are not typically legal entities, but for marketing purposes may sometimes be referred to individually as “a Berkley company” or collectively as “Berkley companies”.