"Trust is the single most critical factor to a financial services company, and fulfilling the promises we make is part of everything we do," says CEO Alex Wynaendts. "In the 2011 Review we explain our strategy, the steps we are taking to achieve our ambitions and what we are doing to improve our performance according to other measurements, such as environmental, social and governance standards."

''Sustainability is built into the way we do business, and an integrated Review and Sustainability Report allows us to offer a more complete view of the company," adds CFO Jan Nooitgedagt.

The Review is in clear language and features a colorful, magazine-style format that illustrates not only what the company is doing, but also why and how actions are being taken. AEGON employee photographs have also been featured prominently, depicting real people in everyday settings.

The Review also examines opportunities and risks that are present in current global trends: aging populations, changing regulations and customer behaviour, and rising stakeholder expectations of a company's contribution to society. The ''How Our business is Changing" section examines these trends that ultimately can - and should - affect company decision making. It's about adapting and succeeding in a changing environment.

AEGON's 4 strategic objectives of Optimizing Portfolio, Enhancing Customer Loyalty, Delivering Operational Excellence and Empowering Employees are explained in the context of our strategic priorities. AEGON's focus on emerging markets, measuring customer satisfaction, investing in innovative technology and creating an environment conducive to employee success are all examples of how we are working to deliver on our strategic objectives.

There is still plenty of financial data in this 2011 Review. The main objective, however, is to provide a well-rounded view of AEGON and to provide evidence to customers, shareholders, employees and our broader stakeholders that we are committed to a sustainable business - and providing a greater level of clarity in everything we do. As Mr.integrated Review is a first step. Even so, we think it's a very significant one."