W. R. Berkley Corporation has appointed Eugene G. Ballard, Ira S. Lederman, and James G. Shiel to the offices of executive vice president, effective immediately.
Mr. Ballard has been with the company since 1999, serving as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He has over 40 years of experience in the accounting and finance profession, including more than 25 years in the property and casualty insurance industry. Mr. Ballard graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in economics and is a certified public accountant. In his new role, he will have oversight responsibility for the finance, accounting, and actuarial departments.
Mr. Lederman joined Berkley in 1983 and has served as senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary since 2001. He received a B.A. from Queens College, an M.P.A. from New York University, and a J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. He has over 35 years of legal experience, more than 30 of which has been with the company. His new responsibilities will include oversight of the company's legal, compliance, claims, and other administrative functions.
Mr. Shiel has been with the company since 1987, serving most recently as senior vice president for investments. He has over 30 years of experience in investing and will continue to oversee the investment activities of the company and its subsidiaries. Mr. Shiel received a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from New York University.
Commenting on the appointments, William R. Berkley, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, said, “Gene, Ira, and Jim have all been tremendous contributors to our company and its success for many years, each in their own unique areas of expertise. Their newly created roles will add depth to our executive management capabilities and will enable them to spread their knowledge, experience, and insights over a wide range of corporate functions.”
Learn more: www.wrberkley.com.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].