Suramericana is to acquire RSA's Latin American operations

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• Latin America - español
• Brazil - Português

MEDELLIN, Colombia, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Suramericana S.A., Grupo SURA´s insurance and risk management subsidiary, announces that it has reached a definite agreement to acquire RSA Insurance Group plc´s operations in Latin America, for a total of GBP 403 million, that represents COP 1,910,750 million (USD 614 million) for 99.6% of the equity, payable in cash.

RSA's Latin American operations represent a leading, geographically-diversified P&C franchise within the region, with a presence spanning Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. The aforementioned operations posted total assets of COP 6,181,628 million (USD 1.9 billion) at year-end 2014; this in addition to net reserves worth COP 1,964,868 million (USD 631 million), and total gross written premiums amounting to COP 3,362,834 million (USD 1.1 billion).

With this acquisition, Suramericana will consolidate its position in the Latin American insurance market. It shall become a top player in Chile and Uruguay, and #9 in Argentina. As for Mexico and Brazil, the largest markets in Latin America, the Company shall be entering new market niches offering substantial growth potential, while in Colombia it would be strengthening its existing offering and consolidating its leading position.

"This transaction represents a unique opportunity to expand our presence across the fast-growing Latin American markets. We are certain that this new acquisition shall create value for all our clients, as well as for us in Suramericana, our parent company Grupo SURA and the Organization as a whole, through the diversification of  our geographical risk, sharing of best practices and harnessing of synergies, while at the same time allowing us to develop new markets" stated Gonzalo Alberto Pérez, CEO of Suramericana S.A.

Suramericana is well-known for building long term relationships and implementing world-class standards in all countries where present. The Company will consolidate this new acquisition, with the help of RSA's recognized human talent in the region, while capitalizing Suramericana´s 70 years of experience and expertise in the insurance sector.

Now that it has acquired RSA's Latin American operations, Suramericana shall be extending its current presence in Colombia, Panamá, Dominican Republic and El Salvador, thereby consolidating its position as one of the most important insurance companies in the region with over 15.6 million clients.

At the same time, Grupo SURA, Suramericana's parent company, has welcomed this acquisition as part of the Organization´s strategy to develop a wider range of financial services within the region. "This transaction is being carried out maintaining the highest corporate governance standards, fulfilling our expectations in terms of corporate reputation, senior management capabilities, and business practices", stated David Bojanini, CEO of Grupo SURA.

Grupo SURA is also a leading player in the Latin American pension fund industry through its other subsidiary SURA Asset Management, which has a presence spanning Mexico, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador, and a client base of over 17 million.

On behalf of Munich Re, one of Suramericana´s shareholders, Pina Albo, Board Member, expressed: "We welcome the acquisition and look forward to the prospects it will bring."

This transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals in each respective country, but is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. Lazard acted as sole financial adviser to Suramericana, whereas Goldman Sachs served as sole financial adviser to RSA.

About Suramericana
With more than 70 years of experience, Suramericana is today one of the main insurance groups in Colombia and Central America with a total client base of 10 million customers.

Suramericana is a Subsidiary of Grupo SURA (81.1%). The remaining stake is hold by Munich Re (18.9%).

In Colombia, Suramericana is not only the No. 1 insurance company but is also a leading player in the social security sector offering its workers´ compensation services, mandatory and pre-paid health plans as well as other  general services such as diagnostics, healthcare and labor risk advisory services; it also provides insurance solutions in both P&C and life insurance.

About Grupo Sura
Grupo de Inversiones Suramericana, the parent company of the SURA Business Group, is a Latin American company listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange and registered with the ADR- Level 1 program in the United States. It is also the only Latin American company from the Diversified Financial Service Sector to be admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which tracks companies who have become global benchmarks thanks to the best practices they have adopted from the economic, environmental and social standpoints.

Grupo SURA has two fields of investment: its core strategic interests in the financial service, insurance, pension, savings and investment sectors; as well as its industrial interests mainly in the processed food, cement and energy sectors.

About RSA Insurance Group plc
With a 300 year heritage, RSA is a multinational quoted insurance group. RSA has core operations in the UK, Scandinavia, Canada, Ireland, and Latin America, and has the capability to write business in around 140 countries. Focusing on general insurance, RSA has around 19,000 employees and, in 2014, its net written premiums were £7.5 billion.

Figures in COP and USD, using FX GBP to COP 4,741 and GBP to USD 1.52

SOURCE Suramericana S.A.

Related Links

http://www.gruposuramericana.com