Walter B. Kielholz

Overview

Walter B. Kielholz is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chairman's and Governance Committee (since January 2003). He has been a member of the Board since 1999 and served as Chairman of the Audit Committee from 1999 to 2002. His term as a member of the Board expires at the AGM in 2009. The Board has determined him to be independent under the Group's independence standards. Mr. Kielholz studied Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen, and graduated in 1976 with a degree in Business Finance and Accounting. His career began at the General Reinsurance Corporation, Zurich, in 1976. After working in the US, the UK and Italy, Mr. Kielholz assumed responsibility for the company's European marketing. In 1986, he joined Credit Suisse, Zurich, responsible for client relations with large insurance groups in the Multinational Services department. Mr. Kielholz joined Swiss Re, Zurich, in 1989. He became a member of Swiss Re's Executive Board in 1993 and was Swiss Re's Chief Executive Officer from 1997 to 2002. A Board member since 1998, he became Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swiss Re in 2003 and Vice-Chairman in 2007. Mr. Kielholz is a Board member of the Geneva Association, the European Financial Roundtable and the Institute of International Finance. In addition, Mr. Kielholz is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Avenir Suisse and a member of the Board and the Committee of economiesuisse. Mr. Kielholz is a member of the Zurich Friends of the Arts, the Lucerne Festival Foundation Board and Chairman of the Zurcher Kunstgesellschaft (Zurich Art Society), which runs Zurich's Kunsthaus museum.