The insurer W.R. Berkley Corp. named a new leader for its Berkley Re UK arm. Global Indemnity Group LLC hired a veteran executive to be chief executive of its insurance operations as well as a member of its board of directors.

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W.R. Berkley Corp. named Clare Himmer as president of Berkley Re UK Limited, effective September 1, 2021.

In the interim, Richard Fothergill will continue as Berkley Re UK’s CEO, with the expectation that, by the end of 2021, Himmer will be appointed CEO and Fothergill will become Chairman.

Himmer has nearly 30 years of experience in the reinsurance industry with a particular focus on the London and international markets across multiple classes of business. Most recently, she led the London subsidiary of a specialty Bermuda reinsurance group, establishing and developing key client and broker relationships and growing the London business to a substantial percentage of the group’s revenue.

Fothergill joined Berkley Re UK in 2011 to lead the development of the newly formed business. As CEO, he will continue to lead the organization through the transition. Upon assuming the Chairman role, he will remain a valuable resource for the Berkley Re UK team, as well as engage on special projects and initiatives throughout W. R. Berkley Corporation.

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Global Indemnity Group LLC, the parent company of specialty property/casualty insurance providers Penn-America Group, United National Group, and others, appointed David Charlton as its chief executive of Global Indemnity’s insurance operations as well as a member of its board of directors.

As the company’s principal executive officer, Charlton will report directly to the company’s board of directors through its chairman. Charlton’s appointment concludes the chief executive search process initiated by the company’s board of directors in January 2021.

Charlton is a 34-year veteran property/casualty insurance industry senior executive with expertise in excess and surplus, binding authority, small business and other specialty insurance businesses.

Before joining Global Indemnity, Charlton served for seven years at Chubb Limited, where he had been recruited to expand its Westchester Specialty excess and surplus small business division. Prior to Chubb, Charlton served at Berkshire Hathaway’s United States Liability Insurance Company (USLI), including as executive vice president and chief underwriting officer.

Sources: W.R. Berkley Corp., Global Indemnity Group LLC