Baloise and Helvetia shareholders approve merger, paving the way to create a leading European insurer

Basel / St. Gallen, 23 May 2025. 

• Shareholders of Baloise and Helvetia vote in favour of merger of equals to form Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd 
• All proposals of both Boards of Directors have been approved, reflecting strong support for the transaction
• Thomas von Planta elected future Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd together with further announced members, subject to closing of the merger
• Upon closing of the merger, Helvetia Baloise will become the second-largest insurance group in Switzerland and a leading European insurer

Based on a compelling strategic rationale, the shareholders of Baloise Holding Ltd (“Baloise”) and Helvetia Holding Ltd (“Helvetia”) approved the merger of equals to form “Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd” (“Helvetia Baloise” or the “Group”) at their respective and separate Extraordinary General Meetings today. Thomas von Planta has been elected as future Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd together with all proposed further new members. The registered office and headquarters of the Group will be in Basel, while St. Gallen remains an important location. These decisions were made conditional on the closing of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2025, subject to customary regulatory and antitrust approvals.

Thomas von Planta, future Chairman of the Board of Directors of the merged company and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baloise, says: “We appreciate the trust and confidence our shareholders have placed in us today. Building on this solid foundation, we are committed to  shaping the future of the Swiss insurance industry. Together we will secure and further expand our attractiveness and competitiveness in both the domestic and European insurance markets, thereby creating sustainable, long-term value for all our stakeholders.”

Thomas Schmuckli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helvetia, says: “We are pleased that shareholders acknowledge the tremendous potential this merger unlocks. It is now up to us to take account of this trust and successfully realise the goals of the merger. Thanks to its broad range of expertise, our highly motivated management team, led by Group CEO Fabian Rupprecht, will be ideally placed to take the new company forward and achieve the ambitious goals of the merger. ”

Helvetia Baloise will become the second-largest insurance group in Switzerland and one of the top 10 listed European insurers with a business volume of CHF 20 billion across eight countries and a global Specialty business. The similar scale, complementary markets, and high synergy potential of the two companies will provide a solid base for sustainable value creation. Strong cultural alignment, rooted in both companies' 160-year histories in Switzerland, supports a smooth integration process. 

The detailed voting results of both Extraordinary General Meetings can be found on the respective websites under www.baloise.com/egm and www.helvetia.com/merger-documents. 

All information and resources with regards to the merger are available on the respective websites under www.baloise.com/merger and www.helvetia.com/merger-documents.

Contact
Baloise, Aeschengraben 21, CH-4002 Basel
Website: www.baloise.com
E-Mail: media.relations@baloise.com / investor.relations@baloise.com
Media Relations: Tel: +41 58 285 82 14
Investor Relations: Tel: +41 58 285 81 81

About Baloise

The focus is firmly on the future at Baloise. We aim to make tomorrow more straightforward, safer and more carefree for our customers, and we are taking responsibility for this today. Baloise is more than just a traditional insurance company. Through our smart finance and insurance solutions, we offer a complete service package. Dependable support, reliable cooperation and trust-based relationships are key aspects of our stakeholder interaction. We take care of financial matters so that our customers can concentrate on the important things in their lives and can find inspiration in the everyday. Baloise, a European company founded more than 160 years ago, currently employs 8,000 people at its headquarters in Basel (Switzerland) and across its subsidiaries in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. Our services generated a business volume of around CHF 8.6 billion in 2024. Baloise Holding Ltd shares (BALN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.