At today's Annual General Meeting, Swiss Life Holding's shareholders approved by a large majority all the resolutions proposed by the Board of Directors. The General Meeting of Shareholders approved the CHF 10 dividend increase from CHF 7 to CHF 17 and authorised the Board of Directors to carry out a share buyback programme with a total value of up to CHF 2.5 billion. Rolf Dörig was elected to the Board of Directors; Bruno Pfister will replace him as Group Chief Executive Officer.
Around 1350 shareholders took part in the General Meeting of Swiss Life Holding shareholders, corresponding to 10.6 million registered shares or 30.3 percent of the share capital. They approved by a large majority a CHF 10 increase in the distribution of profit from CHF 7 to CHF 17 per share. This distribution of profit is to take the form of a repayment of par value, as in previous years, and will reduce the company's ordinary share capital by CHF 17 per registered share, from CHF 34 to CHF 17 per share. The amount of the reduction, CHF 17 per share, is expected to be paid on 29 July 2008 to shareholders in possession of Swiss Life Holding shares on the day before said payout.
Share buyback programme of up to CHF 2.5 billion
The Board of Directors was authorised by the General Meeting of Shareholders to conduct a share buyback programme with a total value of up to CHF 2.5 billion. The shares bought back through a second trading line at the SWX Europe exchange over a period of 18 months at the most are earmarked for cancellation. The Board of Directors will propose a corresponding capital reduction to the General Meetings in 2009 and 2010, in line with the actual amount of shares repurchased.
Election of Rolf Dörig to the Board of Directors
Rolf Dörig, who has held the position of Group CEO since November 2002, was elected to the Board of Directors by a large majority. He assumes the role of Delegate of the Board with key responsibility for strategy development and overseeing strategy implementation. Gerold Bührer, Paul Embrechts and Franziska Tschudi, who stood for re-election to the Board of Directors, were elected for a further three-year term of office by a large majority. Bruno Pfister, previously CEO International of Swiss Life, will take over from Rolf Dörig as Group CEO on 9 May. As announced in November 2007, the CEO of Swiss Life in Germany, Manfred Behrens, will be appointed to the Corporate Executive Board on the same date.
Future course set
In his speech, Rolf Dörig reflected on the past financial year: “2007 was a crucial year for us and a very successful one. Despite the difficult market environment experienced by the financial industry, we generated a record result of CHF 1.4 billion and already achieved our financial targets originally set for 2008. Swiss Life has thus successfully concluded a phase of restructuring and consolidation begun in 2002 and, at the same time, set its course for a promising future. The company has optimised its business portfolio and is now ready for the next growth surge.”
Life and pensions as a sustainable growth market
Bruno Gehrig, Chairman of the Board of Directors, spoke of the strategic focus in the years ahead. He is certain that life and pensions will remain a sustainable growth market and an attractive field of activity. Thus Swiss Life will systematically pursue its strategic course and position itself as a leading specialist for life insurance and pension solutions. Bruno Gehrig thanked Rolf Dörig for the great commitment and results-driven approach he demonstrated over the last five years as Group CEO. In a difficult period, he was able to restore the customers' and shareholders' trust in Swiss Life and to mould what was essentially a healthy enterprise into a financial successful company again.
Contact
Media Relations
Phone +41 43 284 77 77
media.relations@swisslife.ch
Investor Relations
Phone +41 43 284 52 76
investor.relations@swisslife.ch
www.swisslife.com
Share buyback programme of up to CHF 2.5 billion
The Board of Directors was authorised by the General Meeting of Shareholders to conduct a share buyback programme with a total value of up to CHF 2.5 billion. The shares bought back through a second trading line at the SWX Europe exchange over a period of 18 months at the most are earmarked for cancellation. The Board of Directors will propose a corresponding capital reduction to the General Meetings in 2009 and 2010, in line with the actual amount of shares repurchased.
Election of Rolf Dörig to the Board of Directors
Rolf Dörig, who has held the position of Group CEO since November 2002, was elected to the Board of Directors by a large majority. He assumes the role of Delegate of the Board with key responsibility for strategy development and overseeing strategy implementation. Gerold Bührer, Paul Embrechts and Franziska Tschudi, who stood for re-election to the Board of Directors, were elected for a further three-year term of office by a large majority. Bruno Pfister, previously CEO International of Swiss Life, will take over from Rolf Dörig as Group CEO on 9 May. As announced in November 2007, the CEO of Swiss Life in Germany, Manfred Behrens, will be appointed to the Corporate Executive Board on the same date.
Future course set
In his speech, Rolf Dörig reflected on the past financial year: “2007 was a crucial year for us and a very successful one. Despite the difficult market environment experienced by the financial industry, we generated a record result of CHF 1.4 billion and already achieved our financial targets originally set for 2008. Swiss Life has thus successfully concluded a phase of restructuring and consolidation begun in 2002 and, at the same time, set its course for a promising future. The company has optimised its business portfolio and is now ready for the next growth surge.”
Life and pensions as a sustainable growth market
Bruno Gehrig, Chairman of the Board of Directors, spoke of the strategic focus in the years ahead. He is certain that life and pensions will remain a sustainable growth market and an attractive field of activity. Thus Swiss Life will systematically pursue its strategic course and position itself as a leading specialist for life insurance and pension solutions. Bruno Gehrig thanked Rolf Dörig for the great commitment and results-driven approach he demonstrated over the last five years as Group CEO. In a difficult period, he was able to restore the customers' and shareholders' trust in Swiss Life and to mould what was essentially a healthy enterprise into a financial successful company again.
Contact
Media Relations
Phone +41 43 284 77 77
media.relations@swisslife.ch
Investor Relations
Phone +41 43 284 52 76
investor.relations@swisslife.ch
www.swisslife.com
Swiss Life
The Swiss Life Group is one of Europe's leading providers of life insurance and pension solutions. The Group offers individuals and corporations a broad range of products combined with comprehensive advice through its own sales force as well as brokers and banks in Switzerland, France and Germany. It provides internationally operating corporations with employee benefits solutions from a single source, and is among the global leaders in structured life and pension products for high net worth individuals with its centres of competence in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Singapore.
Swiss Life is the majority shareholder of the Hanover-based AWD Group, one of Europe's top financial services providers for the medium- and high-income customer segments. AWD offers its clients independent financial advisory services. It employs over 6300 financial consultants in ten European countries.
Swiss Life Holding, registered in Zurich, was founded in 1857 as Schweizerische Rentenanstalt. The shares of Swiss Life Holding are listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange (SLHN).
The Swiss Life Group is one of Europe's leading providers of life insurance and pension solutions. The Group offers individuals and corporations a broad range of products combined with comprehensive advice through its own sales force as well as brokers and banks in Switzerland, France and Germany. It provides internationally operating corporations with employee benefits solutions from a single source, and is among the global leaders in structured life and pension products for high net worth individuals with its centres of competence in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Singapore.
Swiss Life is the majority shareholder of the Hanover-based AWD Group, one of Europe's top financial services providers for the medium- and high-income customer segments. AWD offers its clients independent financial advisory services. It employs over 6300 financial consultants in ten European countries.
Swiss Life Holding, registered in Zurich, was founded in 1857 as Schweizerische Rentenanstalt. The shares of Swiss Life Holding are listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange (SLHN).
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information
This publication contains specific forward-looking statements, e.g. statements including terms like “believe”, “assume”, “expect” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may result in a substantial divergence between the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and those explicitly or implicitly presumed in these statements. Against the background of these uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments.
This publication contains specific forward-looking statements, e.g. statements including terms like “believe”, “assume”, “expect” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may result in a substantial divergence between the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and those explicitly or implicitly presumed in these statements. Against the background of these uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments.