Delta Lloyd and ABN AMRO establish joint venture in bancassurance
Delta Lloyd Group and the Business Unit Netherlands (BU NL) of ABN AMRO have today signed a letter of intent for a unique partnership in the field of bancassurance. The partnership combines the distribution capabilities of ABN AMRO’s Dutch network with the insurance expertise of Delta Lloyd.
The ABN AMRO distribution network gives Delta Lloyd a third major sales channel, alongside Delta Lloyd for independent insurance intermediaries and OHRA for direct consumer sales. Delta Lloyd emphasises that the existing situation will be continued: each distribution channel will operate completely independently and deliver its own specific product range. The partnership enables ABN AMRO to offer its customers a better and more varied range of insurance products that will continue to carry the ABN AMRO label. ABN AMRO thus reaffirms the importance of insurance within its overall package of services.
The partnership will be given shape in a new joint venture to which ABN AMRO will transfer its insurance activities, with the exception of sales and marketing. The joint venture will be granted the exclusive right to sell insurance products through the Dutch network of ABN AMRO.
Delta Lloyd will pay ABN AMRO EUR 262.5 million in cash for a 51% interest in the joint venture and will thus obtain management responsibility for the joint venture effective from 1 January 2003. The strategic control over the joint venture remains a shared responsibility of the two companies. Depending on the achievement of sales targets over the coming five years, Delta Lloyd will pay ABN AMRO an additional EUR 25 million at maximum, while the joint venture will pay ABN AMRO a standard sales volume related commission. To finance the purchase, Delta Lloyd will receive a subordinated loan from its shareholder Aviva plc.
The joint venture reinforces the position of Delta Lloyd Group in the Dutch insurance market. Niek Hoek, CEO of Delta Lloyd: “This step demonstrates the strength of Delta Lloyd. It shows that even in these difficult times we remain firmly committed to our ‘multi-channel’ strategy and are seizing opportunities to reinforce our position. Delta Lloyd has thus loudly and clearly claimed a position among the leading Dutch insurers.”
ABN AMRO is delighted with the improvement of its services thanks to the partnership with Delta Lloyd. Floris Deckers, CEO of the BU NL of ABN AMRO: “Our customers come first and this partnership gives them the best of two worlds. The undisputed insurance expertise of Delta Lloyd and our recently revitalised distribution power. We are now able to offer our customers an even better insurance product.”
All involved staff of ABN AMRO Insurance will be offered an appropriate position within the new joint venture in line with the ‘outsourcing agreement’ that was recently accepted by the social partners. This means that the difference in compensation and benefits will be covered by a transitional arrangement. The expenses related to the establishment of the joint venture will be booked against the proceeds.
Delta Lloyd will provide the Board Chairman of the new joint venture in the person of Freek van Leeuwen (57), who has been with Delta Lloyd since 1975 and is currently Board Chairman of Delta Lloyd Zorg (ex NUTS). After the merger with NUTS OHRA, he was responsible for the successful integration and reorganisation of NUTS Verzekeringen within Delta Lloyd.
The BU NL of ABN AMRO has nearly 5 million customers, almost one million non-life policies and approximately 400,000 life policies. After consolidation of the full-year 2001 figures of ABN AMRO Insurance, Delta Lloyd’s total gross premium income in the Netherlands increases by more than EUR 800 million to EUR 4.20 billion. This places Delta Lloyd in the Dutch top 3.
The mutual co-operation will be discussed further in the coming weeks. The transaction is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2003, subject to approval from the regulatory authorities and staff councils.