Aegon N.V. (styled as AEGON) is an multinational life insurance, pensions and asset management company headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. At the end of 2011, Aegon companies employed about 25,000 people worldwide, serving approximately 47 million customers.^[1]

History[link]

Aegon was founded in 1983 from the merger of AGO Holding N.V. (itself created by the merger of three companies in 1968) and Ennia N.V. (itself formed by the merger of three companies in 1969).

Aegon acquired Scottish Equitable in 1994.^[2] In 1998 it formed Stonebridge International Insurance Ltd to create and market a range of personal insurance products, providing accident, health and unemployment cover to its own customers and via business partners.

In 1999 it acquired the life assurance business of Guardian Royal Exchange.^[2] That year it also bought Transamerica Corporation.^[3]

On August 13, 2007, Aegon and Merrill Lynch announced a strategic business partnership in the areas of life insurance and investment products. As part of the relationship, Aegon acquired two of Merrill Lynch's life insurance companies for US$1.3 billion.^[4]

On April 23, 2008, Alex Wynaendts succeeded the retiring Donald J. Shepard as Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Aegon N.V. following the Group's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders: Donald Shepard announced his retirement in November 2007, after six years as Chairman.^[5]

On October 28, 2008, the Dutch government and De Nederlandsche Bank agreed to give Aegon a €3 billion capital injection to create a capital buffer in exchange for convertible bonds to ease the group through the financial crisis.^[6] On June 15, 2011, Aegon fulfilled its key objective of repurchasing all of the EUR 3 billion core capital securities issued to the Dutch State. The total amount Aegon has paid to the Dutch State amounts to EUR 4.1 billion. Of this amount, EUR 3 billion covered the original issue of core capital securities, while an additional EUR 1.1 billion was paid in premium and interest.

On August 3, 2011, Aegon USA announced that all its various businesses will be grouped under a single brand name: Transamerica. Transamerica’s key businesses are life insurance, investments and retirement. The group includes companies whose history goes back over 100 years and whose products and services have become well-known throughout the USA, including founding companies Life Investors Insurance Company of America and Monumental Life Insurance Company.

Operations[link]

Headquarters building and square in The Hague

Aegon's businesses focus on life insurance and pensions, savings and asset management products. The group is also active in accident and supplemental health insurance and general insurance, and has limited banking activities. Aegon has major operations in the United States (where it is heavily represented through World Financial Group and Transamerica), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In addition, the group is present in a number of other countries including Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Spain, China, Japan and India. Aegon's world headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands, and its U.S. headquarters are in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.^[7]

Subsidiaries and divisions[link]

North America[link]

• AEGON USA, LLC
• Transamerica Corporation
• Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company
• Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company of New York
• Monumental Life Insurance Company
• Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company
• Stonebridge Life Insurance Company
• Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company
• Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company
• Western Reserve Life Assurance Co. of Ohio
• Transamerica Life Canada

Netherlands[link]

• AEGON Levensverzekering
• AEGON Schadeverzekering
• AEGON Bank
• OPTAS Pensioenen
• AEGON Spaarkas
• Unirobe Meeus Groep
• TKP Pensioen
• AEGON Hypotheken

United Kingdom[link]

• Scottish Equitable plc (trading as AEGON UK)
• Origen Financial Services
• Positive Solutions

New Markets[link]

• AEGON España S.A.
• AEGON Magyarország Általános Biztositó Zrt. (Hungary)
• AEGON TU na Życie S.A. / Aegon Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne S.A. (Poland)

Joint ventures[link]

• AEGON-CNOOC Life Insurance Company (50% joint venture with CNOOC,), China
• AEGON Sony Life Insurance Cy (50% joint venture with Sony), Japan
• Caja Badajoz Vida y Pensiones. Spain
• Banca Civica joint venture partners: CAN Vida y Pensiones S.A. de Seguros (50% joint venture), Caja Burgos Vida (50%), CAN Seguros de Salud (50%), Spain
• Cantabris Vida Y Pensiones (50%), Spain
• Unnim joint venture partners: Unnim Vida (former Caixa Terrassa Vide y Pensiones (50%), Caixa Sabadell Vida (50%)
• AEGON Industrial Fund Manangement Co (49%), China

Shareholdings[link]

• N.V. Levensverzekeringsmaatschappij "De Hoop"(33.3%), the Netherlands
• Tenet Group Limited (22%), United Kingdom
• Seguros Argos (49%), Mexico
• AEGON Religare Life Insurance Copany (26%), India
• Mongeral (50%), Brasil

Sponsorships[link]

In 2008, Aegon became the official sponsor of the Dutch football team AFC Ajax, in a deal which will last for seven years.^[8] Ajax's uniform now features the Aegon logo across the chest. Aegon becomes the third sponsor of Ajax (TDK sponsored Ajax in the 1980s, and ABN AMRO sponsored the team from 1990 till 2008). As of late 2008, Aegon also sponsor the Lawn Tennis Association. A sponsorship package was agreed with the LTA and Aegon's name will appear on all four pillars of British Tennis, including many professional tournaments, one of which is the AEGON Championships, an ATP grasscourt professional tennis tournament in June in London, taking over from Stella Artois, who had sponsored the event since 1979. Since 2004, Transamerica has been the primary sponsor of the American golfer Zach Johnson.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aegon

• Official website

Companies portal

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