About Eagle Star Life

Eagle Star is a financial services company, employing over 473 people in Ireland (as at 31st December 2002). The company has over 160,000 people insured and is firmly established as one of the country's most successful life insurance businesses, offering a range of pension, protection and investment solutions. Eagle Star is also a market leader in providing information online through its innovative website, www.eaglestarlife.ie.

Our History

Shield Life, the original name for Eagle Star's life company in Ireland, was launched in Ireland in 1978. In 1983 the company moved to new headquarters in Blackrock and in 1990 took on the corporate identity of Eagle Star. Internationally renowned as a financial services company, Eagle Star in Ireland was part of the international Eagle Star Group whose origins dated back to 1807. In 1998 Eagle Star became part of Zurich Financial Services. Now, as an Irish company and as part of one of the world's largest insurance groups, Eagle Star Life is well positioned to provide tailored solutions to the pension, investment and protection needs of Irish individuals and companies.

Eagle Star Life became a founding member of Business in the Community, Ireland in 2000, to show a tangible commitment to Corporate Responsibility and a determination to focus strategically on CR within the company through a process of systematic measuring.

Our Success

Employees

Eagle Star is committed to maintaining a staff of highly professional and motivated people. Our employees are highly trained, highly educated and hold professional qualifications from various institutions such as the Institute of Actuaries, Chartered Insurance Institute of Ireland, Irish Institute of Pension Managers, Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Investment Management and Research, Marketing Institute of Ireland, Life Insurance Association and Institute of Personnel Development.

Eagle Star's business success can be attributed to the considerable efforts of staff who in our technically progressive business environment turn challenges into success stories.

Management Approach

Eagle Star's management team has a strong professional ethos and commitment. All decisions for Ireland are made, autonomously in Ireland by Eagle Star's Blackrock based team. The company's customer solutions and marketing innovations are also developed in-house.

Investment Performance

Eagle Star Life has a well-established in-house investment team based in Blackrock, Co. Dublin which is responsible for funds under management of €3.35 billion of which pension assets amount to €1.6 billion (as at 31st December 2002). The company's investment strategy delivers investment performance, security and choice.

Over the last decade, our reputation for investment performance and service has been second to none.

Winning independent awards supports the team's credentials as a fund manager. For example, in 2000 we won the IBA/MoneyMate Best Managed Growth Pension Fund Award and the IBA/MoneyMate Unit-Linked Fund Manager Award. In fact, over the past three years, Eagle Star has either been 1st, or 2nd in the Irish Independent/Irish Times Personal Pension Surveys.

Product Design

Eagle Star is committed to providing our customers with a range of unique and innovative pension, investment and protection solutions - a range of solutions to meet each of our customers' specific goals. As a leader in the pensions market, Eagle Star recognises the importance of pension provision for all. This is why we were pleased to be one of the first companies to be approved to provide Personal Retirement Savings Accounts. These products are intended by the Government to help those without adequate cover to provide for their future retirement. PRSAs are an easily accessible, low cost option for everyone not just those in employment.

The following is a list of our products:

Pensions

• The new Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs)
• Employer-sponsored Pensions
• Personal Pensions
• Additional Voluntary Contributions
• Approved Retirement Funds
• Buy-out Bonds

Savings and Investments

• Lump Sum Investment Bonds
• Regular Premium Investment Plans
• Guaranteed Deposits

Protection

• Guaranteed Life and Serious Illness Term cover
• Guaranteed Mortgage Protection
• Permanent Health Insurance to cover disability

E-initiatives

Eagle Star is leading the way in terms of delivering online service enhancements to insurance intermediaries and customers through a unique series of secure extranets as part of our website. These secure extranets include a Client Centre and Broker Centre, which features a Sales, Underwriting, Claims, Investor and Compliance section. These services allow financial advisors and customers online access to view personal policy information electronically and to keep track of the performance of their funds.

The Eagle Star Brand

The Eagle Star logo reflects what the company stands for:

The Eagle embodies strength and confidence.
The Rock represents security stability and establishment.
The Star typifies focus, direction and achievement.