Chairman’s letter Donald J. Shepard, Chairman of the Executive Board Dear Stakeholder, As one of the world’s leading providers of long-term financial protection products and services, AEGON makes long-term promises to a wide range of customers, business partners, employees and shareholders. Each day we take steps to ensure that we are able to keep those promises through sound and responsible business practices and the integrity of the products and services we deliver. AEGON’s core values of respect, quality, transparency and trust are central to the many considerations that guide our business decisions. This latest Corporate Responsibility Report provides a broad overview of the initiatives and policies we have implemented during this past year to strengthen our commitment to the many diverse communities that AEGON serves throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.   Our industry has changed dramatically in recent years. In developed countries, people are living longer and are having to manage their pension assets for considerably longer periods of time than in the past. As individuals assume greater responsibility for their own retirement, it is important that our customers have a clear understanding of their particular needs and available options in order to make the best financial planning decisions.   For this reason, AEGON is committed to improving financial literacy in the communities in which it operates. This includes supporting programs in our markets designed to provide instruction on personal finance and retirement planning. Providing clear and transparent products is also an essential requirement to maintaining the trust and confidence of our customers.   Since our last Corporate Responsibility Report, we have made significant progress in a number of key areas. We have enhanced the transparency of our products. We have improved levels of both customer and employee satisfaction. And we have extended and strengthened the Code of Conduct that provides all employees with the essential guidelines for how AEGON operates as a responsible company in an ever-changing international business environment.   As a global company, AEGON also has responsibilities that extend beyond the financial services industry. As we continue to expand our international presence in the coming years, we will undoubtedly face new challenges and new responsibilities. In these areas, too, we have made progress. Since our last report, we have become a signatory to the Carbon Disclosure Project, which encourages companies around the world to be more open about their greenhouse gas emissions. We have also expanded the number of Socially Responsible Investment funds we offer in the United Kingdom to three, have strengthened our commitment to promoting and protecting fundamental human rights in our operations around the world and have extended AEGON’s long-standing support for international research programs into the causes and treatment of cancer.   Looking ahead, we are examining the possibility of a new, globally coordinated action plan to reduce energy consumption across AEGON’s operations internationally. Other projects include establishing group-wide corporate responsibility standards for suppliers in all our major procurement centers, and group-wide principles to help determine how AEGON exercises its voting rights as a shareholder in other companies.   While we are pleased with the advances in AEGON’s record on corporate responsibility issues, we recognize that there are areas where further improvement is possible. As part of this process, we are committed to incorporating insights and recommendations from our stakeholders that will strengthen our principles and their implementation in our day-to-day performance.   As a company that serves more than 40 million customers in over twenty countries around the world, AEGON has a global reach with global responsibilities. We remain committed to fulfilling those responsibilities in a way that will continue to justify the confidence of our customers, partners, employees and shareholders, while maintaining AEGON’s reputation as a leading contributor to sound and responsible business practices around the world.   Sincerely,   Donald J. Shepard CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD