Ronald E. Blaylock
BERKLEY W RAbout Ronald E. Blaylock
Independent director of W. R. Berkley Corporation since 2001 (age 65), Ronald E. Blaylock is Founder and Managing Partner of GenNx360 Capital Partners (since 2006) and previously founded and served as Chairman & CEO of Blaylock & Company, Inc. (1993–2006), following senior roles at PaineWebber Group and Citicorp . He currently serves on the public company boards of Pfizer Inc., CarMax, Inc., and Advantage Solutions Inc., and is a Trustee of Carnegie Hall and the NYU Stern School of Business . His WRB term, if re-elected in 2025, expires at the 2027 annual meeting; he is deemed independent under NYSE rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GenNx360 Capital Partners | Founder & Managing Partner | 2006–present | Private equity operating focus; brings entrepreneurial, leadership, and financial expertise to WRB board |
| Blaylock & Company, Inc. | Founder, Chairman & CEO | 1993–2006 | Investment banking experience; capital markets perspective |
| PaineWebber Group | Senior management positions | Pre-1993 | Financial services leadership |
| Citicorp | Senior management positions | Pre-1993 | Financial services leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| CarMax, Inc. | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| Advantage Solutions Inc. | Director | Current | Public company directorship |
| Carnegie Hall | Trustee | Current | Non-profit governance |
| NYU Stern School of Business | Trustee | Current | Academic governance |
| Urban One, Inc. | Director | Former (until 2019) | Prior public company board |
Board Governance
- Independence: Independent (NYSE) .
- Years of service: Director since 2001; current WRB term expiring 2027 .
- Board structure: Classified board; 10 directors, 8 independent; separate Executive Chairman and CEO; rotating presiding director for executive sessions (“co-lead” independent director responsibilities) .
- Attendance: Board held 4 meetings in 2024; all directors attended 100% of board meetings; eight directors attended 100% of their committee meetings (one at 92%, one at 88%) .
- Committees (2024 membership and meeting frequency):
- Business Ethics Committee (1 meeting) – Member
- Compensation Committee (5 meetings) – Member
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (2 meetings) – Member
- No committee chair roles indicated for Blaylock .
- Skills coverage (company skills matrix examples): Finance & reporting; risk assessment & management; start-ups/entrepreneurial; investments; human capital/compensation; governance/regulatory & public policy; ESG management .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount/Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash stipend | $96,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee member stipend (Audit & Compensation) | $5,500 | Annual per committee (Audit and Compensation) |
| Committee chair fee | $38,500 | For Audit and Compensation Chairs (not applicable to Blaylock) |
| Board meeting fee | $2,000 per meeting | Per meeting attended |
| Audit/Comp committee meeting fee | $1,500 per substantive meeting | Per meeting attended |
| Deferred comp plan (directors) | Available | Cash fees/equity deferral with fund choices; payout on schedule or separation |
2024 director compensation (individual):
| Director | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald E. Blaylock | 115,500 | 200,067 | 315,567 |
| Data source | |||
Notes: All continuing directors receive an annual equity grant of common shares equal to $200,000 grant-date value (3,801 shares on June 11–12, 2024 at $52.635) and must hold these shares until no longer serving on the Board .
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Feature | WRB Director Policy | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Equity form | Annual grant of common stock | $200,000 in shares; issued at the annual meeting; hold-until-leave requirement |
| Performance metrics | None for directors | Director equity is not performance-vested; intended for alignment and retention |
| Ownership guideline | 5x annual stipend = $480,000 within 4 years | All non-management directors with ≥4 years service exceed the guideline (range 4–31x) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: Pfizer Inc.; CarMax, Inc.; Advantage Solutions Inc. .
- Compensation committee interlocks: For 2024, WRB’s Compensation Committee consisted of Farrell, Blaylock, and Mosley; the company reports no member was an officer or former officer, no related-party relationships requiring disclosure, and no WRB executive officer served on another company’s board or compensation committee where a WRB director was an executive officer (i.e., no interlocks) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial markets and corporate finance expertise from founding/managing financial services firms and board service; brings leadership and operational perspective relevant to WRB’s insurance/investment model .
- Board skills coverage includes finance & reporting, risk assessment & management, start-ups/entrepreneurial, investments, human capital/compensation, governance & public policy, ESG management per skills matrix .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (shares) | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald E. Blaylock | 142,077 | <1% | Per April 17, 2025 ownership table |
| Shares pledged | Not disclosed for Blaylock | — | Company prohibits pledging of shares used to satisfy ownership guidelines; anti-hedging policy applies to directors |
| Guideline compliance | Exceeds | Company states all non-management directors with ≥4 years exceed 5x stipend ($480k) guideline | |
| Approx. ownership value | ≈$9.8 million | — | 142,077 shares × $68.80 (April 17, 2025 reference price used by WRB for guidelines) ≈ $9.78M |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent, long-tenured director (since 2001) with deep financial, investment, and entrepreneurial experience; serves on key oversight committees (Compensation; Nominating & Corporate Governance; Business Ethics) that influence pay design, board refreshment, and ethics/political spending oversight .
- Strong ownership alignment: mandatory hold-until-leave director equity, robust 5x stipend ownership guideline (company reports all seasoned directors exceed), anti-hedging and anti-pledging provisions; substantial personal stake (142,077 shares) supports long-term orientation .
- Board-level engagement indicators are solid: 100% attendance at board meetings across all directors; the board conducts regular executive sessions with rotating presiding director, and maintains majority independence .
- Shareholder support backdrop is favorable: Say-on-Pay received 96.1% approval in 2024 following robust investor outreach (62% of non-management shares contacted; 35% engaged) .
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Watch items / potential conflicts
- External commitments: Concurrent service on three public company boards and leadership of a private equity firm (GenNx360) may elevate time-commitment and conflict-screening needs; however, WRB reports strong board and committee attendance metrics in aggregate and discloses no related-party transactions involving Blaylock .
- Committee influence: As a member of the Compensation Committee, continued monitoring of pay rigor and alignment remains important, but WRB discloses independent consultant usage (Meridian) and confirms committee independence/no conflicts; anti-hedging/anti-pledging/clawbacks strengthen alignment .
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Red flags: None disclosed specific to Blaylock. No related-party transactions or interlocks; no pledging disclosed; robust ownership/retention and conduct policies in place .
Data sources: WRB 2025 DEF 14A proxy statement (filed April 25, 2025). All facts above cite specific proxy sections.