releases

Proposed rebrand - What next?

10th March 2010

What has happened?

During 2009, Fortis Holding (Fortis UK's parent company) confirmed to the market that it will rebrand over time as part of its transition from an international banking and insurance group to a global insurance company. This followed the disposal of its banking assets in 2009.

On March 10, 2010 Fortis Holding set out its proposed new name "ageas". This will require shareholder approval and should that be given, the process of rebranding will begin.

Why "ageas"?

The proposed name represents our 180 history and where we want to be in the future. The "ag" refers to the name of Fortis' Belgian company founded in 1824, the "e and a" refer to our key two markets in Europe and Asia, and the "as" together at the end also stands for 'assurance'.

What does this mean for Fortis in the UK?

Subject to shareholder approval, all of Fortis' companies in the UK where the brand name 'Fortis' appears will change over time. The plan is to do this in a controlled and gradual way and to complete the process by Q1 2011.

What does this mean for my customers?

The proposed change of name does not impact customers' policies or cover in any way. They can continue with their same policy and insurance certificate and be reassured that should they need to claim, they can do so in the normal way.

Do I need to do anything with my Fortis stock of literature or change my website?

At the moment, no change is required. The proposed rebrand requires Fortis Holding's shareholder approval in the first instance and only after that will the process begin. We will be able to update you further on the process during May 2010 at which point we will advise you of next steps.