GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) -- Insurance holding company W.R. Berkley Corp. said Tuesday it has named W. Robert Berkley Jr. as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.

Berkley joined the company in 1997 and has been executive vice president since 2005, focused on domestic insurance operations. He has been on the company's board since 2001. Before joining the company, Berkley worked at Merrill Lynch & Co.

Shares of W.R. Berkley, based in Greenwich, Conn., fell 17 cents to $24.64 in after-hours trading after closing Tuesday at $24.81, up 5 cents from a day earlier.