Gentz To Chair Zurich Financial

NU Online News Service, Dec.15, 12:46 p.m.EST?Zurich Financial Services announced today that ManfredGentz, an auto company executive, has been selected to serve aschairman to succeed the retiring Lodewijk van Wachem.[@@]

The Zurich-based company said Mr. Gentz, 62, will be proposedfor board membership at the firm's annual shareholders meetingApril 19, 2005. Once Mr. Gentz' membership is approved, the boardwill elect him chairman.

Mr. van Wachem will retire on the day of the annual meeting. Hehas served with the company for 12 years, Zurich said.

Mr. Gentz since 1998 has been on the DaimlerChrysler managementboard in charge of finance and controlling. He will retire fromDaimlerChrysler this month.

Zurich Group said Mr. Gentz has had an association with thecompany since 1996 when he joined the Board of Supervisors ofZ?rich Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft, Zurich's German subholdingcompany.

From 1987 to 1995, he served on the Board of Supervisors ofAgrippina Versicherung AG. In 1985 he was elected to the Board ofSupervisors of Hannoversche Lebensversicherung AG, which appointedhim proxy chairman in 1990. He will relinquish this position priorto the election to the Board of Directors of Zurich FinancialServices, and he will also retire from the Board of Z?richBeteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft, Zurich said.

Mr. Gentz is on the board of the German Stock Exchange andchairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, Germany;chairman of the Aspen Institute Berlin; and Chairman of the HannsMartin Schleyer Foundation.

Zurich Financial Services is an insurance-based financialservices provider with a global network that focuses its activitieson its key markets in North America and Europe. Zurich has officesin more than 50 countries and employs about 62,000 people.