37 : KBC Insurance

Worldwide GWP for 1998 (£000s):
£1,319,126 (1997: £671,230)

Chief executive:
Alfons Wouters (chairman and managing director)

Address, telephone and fax number of European head office:
Waaistraat 6
3000 Leuven
Belgium
Tel: + 32 16 243 333
Fax: + 32 16 243 212

Key insurance personnel:
J Daniels (chairman)
W Duron (managing director)
T Peeters (managing director)
E Celis (manager, non-life)
J Daemen (manager, life)
F Rijmenams (manager, financial administration and control)
S Defrancq (manager, infomatics)
D Verdonckt (secretary)

Brief company history:
Formed in January 1935 as the Kredietbank NV, the company assumed its present name in June 1998 following a merger agreement between the ABB group, the Almanij-Kredietbank group and the CERA Bank Group. In its present form the company includes the activities of the former ABB, CERA Bank, Fidelitas, Kredietbank, Omniver and Omniver Leven. KBC now has 20-25% of the Netherlands market in loans and deposits and 10% of the national insurance market, mainly in Flanders. It has subsidiaries in 30 other countries, however.
Parent: KBC Bank and Insurance Holding (100%)

Lines of business:
Accident
Motor
Fire
Common law
Workers' Compensation
Legal Liability
Life
Reinsurance

Domestic insurance subsidiaries:
Maatschappij Brandherverzekering (90.9%)
Secura NV (52.51%)
Fidea (51.68%)
European insurance subsidiaries and Affiliates:
Vitis Life Luxembourg (100%)
Argosz Insurance Corp (Hungary) (89.7%)
FDB Ltd (Ireland) (19.3%)
Securlux (Luxembourg) (1.7%)

Worldwide gross written premium for 1998 (£000s):
£1,271,737

Worldwide gross written premium for 1997 (£000s):
£629,799