Press release
AEGON UK & Shirley Robertson: a winning partnership
8 January 2007Double Olympic-gold medal winner Robertson to inspire management and staff to achieve further success in 2007 and beyond
AEGON UK has signed a sponsorship deal with yachtswoman Shirley Robertson, which will enable the group to benefit from her motivation, discipline and drive for success as one of the UK’s most successful sportswomen.
The deal, which is initially for three years, will see Shirley Robertson spending time at AEGON’s headquarters in Edinburgh and at other locations across the UK. She will be giving insight into the challenges she has faced, and continues to face, and will share her experience of team-work, communication, discipline and motivating herself to attain further success through a series of workshops and seminars with senior management and staff.
The principal aim of the deal is to build on AEGON’s management development programme rather than being part of AEGON’s external brand-building strategy. At the same time, AEGON is delighted to be partnering and supporting one of Scotland’s most successful athletes.
AEGON believes that Shirley’s track record of outstanding achievement, and her determination to go on to further success will represent an attractive and valuable element to its people development strategy.
Shirley Robertson says,
“Many of the key disciplines vital to successful sailing – such as communication, team work, thinking ahead and adapting to changing conditions are also essential to success in business. AEGON is at an exciting stage in its development and I’m very much looking forward to working with the team there in the months and years ahead.”
AEGON UK chief executive Otto Thoresen says,
“Shirley is an inspiring individual who has consistently achieved an exceptional level of success in her sport. Her aim now is to take that to the next level. She therefore makes an excellent role model for AEGON at an important stage in our development. We’ve just completed one of our most successful years to date in business terms and the challenge now is to drive the business forward to higher levels of success in 2007. Working with successful individuals like Shirley will help us achieve this.”
“The deal gives AEGON the chance to support one of Scotland’s highest hopes for major sporting success in the coming years. I know that everyone at AEGON is delighted to be backing Shirley as she prepares to compete at the highest level in the sporting world.”
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
Shirley Robertson
Shirley Robertson, 37, is the only British female athlete to have won gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games. She is already the greatest female Olympic sailor in history.
Shirley started sailing at the age of 7 in a Mirror Miracle on Loch Ard in the Trossachs in Scotland. By the late 1990s she had won silver medals at the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Europe Championships. Her excellent form continued into the Millennium Olympic Games in Sydney where she won gold.
Following her success in 2000, Shirley turned her attentions to a new challenge. In 2001 she switched to the new Yngling class and her team finished 14th at the World Championships. Over the next two years they improved rapidly, finishing third at the 2002 Olympic Test Event and winning the 2003 Pre-Olympic regatta. This new direction was rewarded with Shirley’s historic second Gold Medal at the Athens 2004 Olympics.
In 2005 Shirley took a year off Olympic sailing to focus on big boat sailing, a budding TV career, and as an athlete delegate to the successful London 2012 bid. Following the birth of twins, she recently returned to the Olympic trail for Beijing, and the quest for a further gold medal in 2008.
AEGON UK
Based on the first nine months’ performance, 2006 was AEGON’s most successful year to date in terms of new business volumes, earnings and value of new business.
In November, AEGON reported an increase in new business of 56% to £768m API, value of new business rose 68% to £84m and underling operating earnings rose 22% for first nine months of 2006 compared with 2005
AEGON UK has assets under administration of £45.2 billion and employs around 4,000 staff. AEGON UK is part of the AEGON Group, which is one of the world’s largest listed insurers and has assets under management of £245 billion.
Lesley McPherson