Media information

Annual General Meeting approves increase in dividend

Basel, 24 April 2014. The shareholders of Bâloise Holding Ltd voted in favour of all agenda items at today's Annual General Meeting, thereby approving the 5.6 per cent increase in the dividend to CHF 4.75 per share and the amendments to the Articles of Association. The latter ensure, among other provisions, the implementation of the Swiss Ordinance against Excessive Remuneration in Listed Companies (ERCO). Christoph B. Gloor was newly elected to replace the retiring Georg F. Krayer on the Board of Directors.

The Annual General Meeting approved the Annual Report, the annual financial statements and the 2013 consolidated financial statements. It also granted discharge to the members of the Board of Directors and the executive officers.
The shareholders elected Christoph B. Gloor as a new member of the Board of Directors. He takes over from Georg F. Krayer, who is stepping down.
Christoph B. Gloor (born 1966) is a general partner at La Roche 1787, Basel's oldest bank. He is also Chairman of the Association of Swiss Private Banks and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Bankers Association since September 2013.
All the other members of the Board of Directors were re-elected for a one-year term of office. Andreas Burckhardt was confirmed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for a one-year term. Werner Kummer was appointed as the new Vice-Chairman.
The Annual General Meeting reappointed the present members of the Remuneration Committee, Eveline Saupper (Chair), Georges-Antoine de Boccard, Karin Keller-Sutter and Thomas Pleines.
Dr Christophe Sarasin was confirmed as the independent proxy until after the 2015 Annual General Meeting.
PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, Basel, was reappointed as the statutory and Group auditor for one year.

The Board of Directors is now composed of the following:

  • Andreas Burckhardt, Chairman
  • Werner Kummer, Vice-Chairman
  • Michael Becker
  • Andreas Beerli
  • Georges-Antoine de Boccard
  • Christoph B. Gloor
  • Karin Keller-Sutter
  • Thomas Pleines
  • Eveline Saupper

Qualitative growth - safe, reliable and profitable

Baloise remained well on track in the 2013 financial year. Business volume increased significantly by 7.8 per cent to CHF 9 billion and profit rose by almost 4 per cent to CHF 453 million. This was achieved with strong capitalisation, as reflected by the high level of equity of almost CHF 5 billion and a very good solvency ratio of 267 per cent.
"Thanks to our good record of achievement, high level of profitability and strong capitalisation, we are able to increase our dividend, thereby confirming Baloise as an attractive and reliable investment. These and future successes are predicated on our agile response to market needs. Increasing regulation, however, threatens to stifle Swiss and European companies by noticeably restricting the agility required to be competitive in international markets," said Andreas Burckhardt, Chairman of Bâloise Holding Ltd, at the 2014 Annual General Meeting.
The complete speech given by the Chairman, Andreas Burckhardt, can be downloaded in German from www.baloise.com and will also be available from Friday, 25 April, as a podcast at www.youtube.com/BaloiseGroup.

Further information

Media information available at www.baloise.com

Media kit for the AGM at www.baloise.com

Picture of Andreas Burckhardt

Picture of Christoph B. Gloor

Important dates

  • Monday, 28 April 2014: ex-dividend date
  • Friday, 2 May 2014: dividend due date
  • Thursday, 28 August 2014: 2014 half-year financial results
  • Friday, 14 November 2014: 2014 Q3 interim statement

Contact

Baloise Group, Aeschengraben 21, 4002 Basel, Switzerland

Website: www.baloise.com

Email: media.relations@baloise.com / investor.relations@baloise.com

Media Relations: Dominik Müller, tel. +41 58 285 84 67

Investor Relations: Marc Kaiser, tel. +41 58 285 81 81

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Baloise Group is a European provider of insurance and pension solutions. It positions itself as an insurer with an intelligent risk-prevention concept, the "Safety World". In Switzerland, the Group operates as a specialised financial services provider offering a combination of insurance and banking services. The Group also has a market presence in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Austria. Its distribution network includes its own sales organisation, as well as brokers and other partners. Baloise operates its innovative life and pensions business for private customers throughout Europe, with its competence centre in Luxembourg. Bâloise Holding Ltd shares are quoted in the main segment of the SIX Swiss Exchange. The Baloise Group employs some 8,000 people.


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