Fortis becomes Ageas with support of shareholders

AGO

Fortis today received overwhelming support from its shareholders for its proposed name change to Ageas. The new name has been approved at 97.14% in Brussels and 99.63 % in Utrecht. The new name will be introduced gradually in the coming weeks and months, with rebranding expected to be completed by May 2011.

Ageas will be the name of the parent company and the name under which the stock will trade on Euronext from 30 April. The ticker code will change at that point from FOR(B) to AGS.

The new name is accompanied by a fresh 'look and feel'. The free-drawn coloured circles around the name express a sense of energy and desire to get things done wherever the company does business around the world. The logo has been well received by all target groups. It was found to be attractive, distinctive, easy to recall, contemporary, forward-looking and - especially important - a brand with which stakeholders felt they could engage.

The new name will be applied intelligently, ensuring that its use makes sense for each business. Fortis has an excellent record, for instance, in developing partnerships with key distributors around the world. Given the central importance of this approach to the company's strategy, the Ageas brand will not be introduced where it would be more beneficial to capitalise on partnering brands.

The approval of the new brand by shareholders was the final step in what has been an intensive exercise to rebrand the company as a stand-alone insurance business. Extensive independent research was carried out among some 2,000 employees, consumers and active investors across key markets in Europe and Asia. The aim was to validate the choice of name and the new look, to ensure that they are credible and meaningful to the different stakeholders.

CEO Bart De Smet commented: "We are very pleased that our shareholders were so supportive of our new brand. It is important that we draw a line under the past and move on as a focused international insurance company. The new brand will help us make a clean break. This is a new era for the company, but one that is backed by more than 180 years of experience in the insurance industry. I am confident that Ageas will quickly become an established brand within the global insurance sector."

In appendix, the pdf-file of the new logo.

Fortis is an international insurance company with a heritage spanning more than 180 years. Ranked among the top 20 insurers in Europe, Fortis has chosen to concentrate its business activities in Europe and Asia, which together make up the largest share of the global insurance market. It is an undisputed leader in the Belgian market for individual life and employee benefits, as well as a leading non-life player through AG Insurance. Internationally, Fortis has a strong presence in the UK, where it is the third largest private car insurer. The company also has subsidiaries in France, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine and Hong Kong. Fortis has a strong track record in developing partnerships with key distributors in different markets and successfully operates partnerships in Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, China, Malaysia, India and Thailand. Fortis employs more than 11,000 people and has annual inflows of around EUR 16 billion.

Fortis's assets include a 75% stake in AG Insurance; 100% of Fortis Insurance International; a 45% stake in Royal Park Investments; and other financial assets and liabilities of various financing vehicles.

PR 2010 - 015