GREENWICH – William R. Berkley, the founder and executive chair of W. R. Berkley Corp., died on Tuesday, June 9. He was 80.
Berkley founded the commercial lines property and casualty insurance holding company in 1967 and, over the course of nearly six decades, built it into a Fortune 500 company that is one of the world’s leading commercial insurance organizations. He was also chair emeritus of New York University’s Board of Trustees.
His vision, discipline, and unwavering commitment to an entrepreneurial culture focused on underwriting excellence and long-term results shaped the company’s success and leaves an enduring imprint on both the Company and the insurance industry, according to a company statement.
“My father was more than an extraordinary leader and entrepreneur, whose vision and values shaped the company,” said company President and CEO W. Robert Berkley Jr. “He was a father, best friend, and mentor to me and numerous colleagues, and his influence on us, our company, and the broader industry and the countless lives he touched and enhanced is immeasurable.
“Beyond his business achievements, my father was deeply devoted to giving back to improve the lives of others. He particularly focused on education and healthcare. He generously supported educational institutions at all levels, reflecting his belief in expanding opportunity and fostering intellectual curiosity, and his conviction that opportunity and knowledge are fundamental to individual growth and societal progress.”
The board of directors has appointed W. Robert Berkley Jr. as chairman, effective immediately.
R. Berkley Corp. is an insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance and Monoline Excess.
NYU mourns
“NYU mourns the passing of our dear friend, William “Bill” Berkley (Stern ‘66), chairman emeritus of our Board of Trustees,” according to a university statement. “Mr. Berkley touched the lives of thousands of students, faculty and community members across our institution. He had friends in every corner of our Washington Square campus and everywhere NYU is represented around the world.
“With an arc that goes back more than 50 years, Mr. Berkley was always there to help NYU meet a moment of crisis or opportunity.”
He also served as vice chair and chair; chair of the NYU Stern School of Business Executive Board; and as a member of the Board of Trustees of NYU Langone Health as well as NYU’s President’s Global Council. He received the Albert Gallatin Medal — one of NYU’s highest honors — in 2024, months after being inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.
In 2026, he was named an honorary alumnus of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He was the recipient of NYU Stern’s Charles Waldo Haskins Award as well as the Valentine Mott Award, given by NYU Langone Health in recognition of exceptional and long-standing support and leadership.
In 2021, a generous philanthropic gift from the Berkley Family Foundation established the Berkley Achievement Scholarships, which have enabled talented students from across the country to attend NYU Stern tuition-free. At the time it was made, the donation was the single largest undergraduate scholarship gift in the history of NYU Stern and NYU. In 2023, another major gift from the Foundation launched the NYU Promise, which eliminated tuition for students whose families earn less than $100,000 and provided yearly aid increases for all students to keep up with tuition, year after year.
During his long career, he was the chair of many of the company’s subsidiaries, including Berkley Dean & Co., an investment management company. He held prominent roles in several financial institutions and served as chairman of the American Insurance Association.
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie; his daughter Lisa Berkley; his daughter Lauren Berkley Saunders and Lauren’s husband Dr. John Kenneth Saunders, a clinical associate professor in NYU’s Department of Surgery and a member of NYU Bariatric Surgery Associates; his son, William “Rob” Berkley, Jr. and Rob’s wife, Jennifer Berkley; his brother Harry Berkley and Harry’s wife, Joan Berkley , and son, Richard Berkley; and to his many grandchildren, loved ones, and friends.
