W. R. Berkley Corporation announced the appointment of Michael Marcus as president of Berkley Industrial Comp. He succeeds Chandler F. Cox, Jr., who has been named chairman of the business. The appointments are effective immediately.

Mr. Marcus joined Berkley in 2008 as a regional director at Key Risk and most recently served as Key Risk's senior vice president – sales, distribution and business analytics. He has more than 30 years of commercialproperty and casualty insurance experience and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University. Mr. Cox co-founded Berkley Industrial Comp (formerly American Mining Insurance Group) and has served as its president and chief executive officer since 2000.

Since joining Berkley in 2007 when the company was acquired, he has provided continuous leadership as the business transitioned away from specializing in insurance protection for the coal mining industry to become a leader in serving diverse high-hazard industries. As chairman, he will provide continuity, insights and strategic guidance.