We are delighted to announce that Berkley Specialty London has been awarded the prestigious Gracechurch Claims Service Quality Marque (SQM) in 2025. This accolade is a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional claims service and upholding the highest standards in the industry. Ben Bolton, Managing Director of Gracechurch, commented: , “Berkley Specialty London achieves the Service Quality Marque in 2025; this is the result of a clear ambition and determination to be the best, resulting in a top quartile performance throughout 2024. Berkley Specialty London’s ‘no stone unturned’ approach to service is highly valued by the claims community, and rightly so.”, , What is the Gracechurch Claims SQM?, The Gracechurch Claims SQM is an independent accreditation awarded annually to claims teams that consistently deliver outstanding service quality. It is a highly respected benchmark in the insurance industry, recognising excellence and dedication to customer satisfaction. , Commitment to Excellence, At Berkley Specialty London, we believe that exceptional claims service is the cornerstone of our business. Our team is dedicated to providing prompt, fair, and transparent claims handling, so our clients receive the support they need when it matters most. This award validates our efforts and motivates us to continue striving for excellence. Receiving the Gracechurch Claims SQM is a…
Berkley Specialty London has been awarded the prestigious Gracechurch Claims Service Quality Marque (SQM) in 2025.
Type: Blog post
Expertly crafted product recall cover to protect your brand, your product and your balance sheet
Type: Page
Specialists in worldwide first-party delegated authority business, fostering long-term partnerships with tailored underwriting, exceptional claims services, and first-rate technical support.
Type: Page
At Berkley Specialty, we bring a wealth of underwriting excellence and an unwavering commitment to confronting the evolving risks faced by financial institutions.
Type: Page
Pragmatic risk transfer solutions provided by experienced underwriters with a solution focus, backed up by award winning claims and breach response.
Type: Page
Empowering our customers with innovative solutions and trading efficiency.
Type: Page
Great ideas start with great people – join a team where your future takes shape.
Type: Page
Q&A with Laurence Woodford, Head of Engineering & Construction at Berkley Specialty London. , How did you start off in the insurance market?, I started in insurance after finishing my A-levels. I took on a 3-month internship at Berkley Specialty London in their Engineering team, which then led to a job offer as an Underwriting Assistant. , What has been your career path since then?, I spent 2.5 years as an Underwriting Assistant, then a further 2.5 years as an Assistant Underwriter. During this time I studied for my ACII and once qualified was promoted to a full Underwriter. After 3 years I was promoted to Senior Underwriter and 1.5 years into this role, I was promoted to Head of Department; a role I have held for the past 3 years. By working hard I’ve been successful in…, What do you like most about your role?, From the outside looking in, I think insurance has a reputation for being a bit ‘dry’ but once you start to understand the industry it becomes genuinely interesting. In my job I am essentially putting a price on risk – which is something unquantifiable – and so I have to rely on a mixture of data and analysis along with knowledge and judgement in order to do this. I enjoy the social side of the…, What do you like most about Berkley Specialty London?, I’ve been with WRB my whole career and the main reason is probably down to the fact that they really let you create your own pathway. If you want to go in a certain direction and you can prove that you are adding value, then the business will help you to get there. Even though the Berkley businesses are part of a big corporation, each of these businesses operates within a decentralised…, What advice would you give to school-leavers who are thinking about insurance as a career?, Apply! You don’t have to be a university graduate to get access to this industry. If you are hardworking there is a lot of scope to do well and make a real success of yourself – personally, financially and professionally. Learn more about our career opportunities and available roles here .
Discover how a successful career in the insurance industry can begin with an internship. Read Laurence Woodford’s Q&A to learn more.
Type: Blog post
Elliott Goss, Chief Claims Officer Looking back, 2003 seems a distant memory. The second Gulf War in Iraq led to the toppling of Saddam Hussein. A fresh-faced Swiss man called Roger Federer won Wimbledon, the first of his 20 Grand Slam titles. And Myspace made its debut as one of the world’s first social media platforms. It was also the year that I started in insurance. In historical terms…
Elliott Goss reflects on his two decades working within claims.
Type: Blog post
Charles Perry, Head of Cyber, Berkley Specialty London On the 12th of January, 2024 Microsoft announced that it had detected a “nation-state attack.” Moreover, Microsoft publicly attributed it to Russia and emphasised the urgent need to move faster to counter continuous risks from well-resourced nation-state threat actors.[, i, ] While there has been no apparent catastrophic disruption, the attack provokes thought about the ever-increasing complexities and challenges of modelling and managing a profitable portfolio of cyber risk in a world where technological advancements are outpacing us (think AI). In the context of a world with very fragile and heightened geopolitical tensions, and immeasurably interdependent…, State Backed Cyber-Attacks (SBCA), First, SBCAs. Microsoft’s announcement and attribution is interesting given the turbulent introduction of the Lloyd’s Market Association’s war clauses. While this purported state-backed Russian attack continues to develop, the event may provide a useful scenario for stress-testing the modernised clauses. Was it just a warning shot or was it intended to have a catastrophic impact? Either way,…, Contingent Business Interruption (CBI) / Dependent Business Interruption (DBI), Second, Microsoft clearly has a huge market share. Put to one side bargaining power, a vast number of businesses in the world simply depend on its products and services in one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly (scheduled or unscheduled within a cyber policy). In this competitive landscape, there have been notably increased line sizes and broader coverage for CBI and DBI. Microsoft’s attack…, Swans and cables, The term “Black Swan” (popularised by Nassim Nicholas Taleb) is often used to describe an event that is extremely rare, has a major impact, and is unpredictable or unforeseen. The less commonly used term “White Swan” refers to one that is rare and potentially significant but is foreseeable and predictable. In The Dark Cloud (2023), Guillaume Pitron points out that “99% of the world’s data traffic…, TeleGeography[, ii, ], ). Microsoft’s recent attack should therefore help steer the cyber insurance market towards better understanding and management of the exposures that come with a portfolio of cyber risk, and helping to ensure portfolios are prepared for and resilient to whatever swan it may be. [i] Opens in new tab https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/01/25/midnight-blizzard-guidance-for-…
Charles Perry takes a closer look at the attack and explores the wider implications for the cyber insurance market.
Type: Blog post
