The coverage will be offered exclusively through wholesale brokers. The initiative reflects the group’s continued push into the excess and surplus (E&S) market, which has seen sustained premium growth as admitted carriers pull back capacity on higher-risk accounts.
The target is businesses often overlooked by the standard market, including those with emerging exposures or adverse loss histories. “Demand for professional liability and casualty solutions in this segment continues to grow, and Berkley Edge is positioned to deliver responsive, targeted coverage,” said W. Robert Berkley, Jr., president and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation.
Jamie Secor (pictured above), a 25-year insurance industry veteran, has been named president of Berkley Edge. Secor previously served as chief underwriting officer at Hamilton and has extensive experience structuring solutions for hard-to-place risks.
The timing of Berkley’s launch comes as the E&S sector faces both opportunity and pressure. After several years of double-digit premium growth, industry observers note that pricing momentum is beginning to moderate in some lines, even as loss cost inflation and litigation trends remain elevated.
Professional liability and casualty business has been among the strongest drivers of recent E&S expansion, with small and mid-sized companies increasingly turning to wholesale brokers for coverage unavailable in the admitted market. Analysts said this trend is likely to continue, although competition among carriers could intensify if pricing levels flatten further in 2025.
For wholesale brokers, the addition of Berkley Edge provides another option in an environment where securing terms for distressed risks remains a persistent challenge.
With large carriers recalibrating their appetites, many brokers expect E&S capacity to play a crucial role in meeting client needs for at least the next several renewal cycles.
Market watchers said Berkley’s reputation for underwriting discipline may help Berkley Edge establish itself quickly, but performance will depend on how well it navigates a cycle that could be shifting toward softer conditions.
