Markel Corporation, also called Markel, is a financial holding company, which engages in underwriting specialty insurance products for a variety of niche markets. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Read More Insurance, International Insurance, and Reinsurance. The U.S. Insurance segment includes all direct business, and facultative placements written by its subsidiaries domiciled in the United States. The International Insurance segment refers to all direct business and facultative placements written by its subsidiaries domiciled outside of the U.S. The Reinsurance segment is comprised of all treaty reinsurance written across the company. Markel was founded by Samuel A. Markel in 1930 and is headquartered in Glen Allen, VA.