Fund/Bank: ING Group 1st global player to set up ME investment management division

Dubai, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Global investor interest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) financial markets is expected to intensify with ING Group becoming the first global financial institution to establish a dedicated investment management business in the region.

Based in Dubai, ING Investment Management (ING IM) will produce and export locally developed MENA investment vehicles for an increasingly hungry global investment community, while offering a complete spectrum of sophisticated and innovative products to regional investors.

ING IM is the specialist investment arm of ING Group, one of the world's leading financial services companies with over 600 billion Euro assets under management (AUM). Its arrival in the Middle East signals greater maturity of the region's burgeoning economies and will further thrust the local markets into the global investment spotlight. ING says its move follows increasing global investor interest in the MENA economies combined with a sustainable economic growth story and capital market developments.

"Global investors remain considerably unexposed to the robustness of this region. The demand is there, especially from OECD investors mired by the credit crunch, but the supply is not. By putting an investment team on the ground here, ING is able to develop high performing local funds, then export these through our extensive global network," explains Grant Bailey, Chief Executive Officer, ING IM Middle East.

ING IM will launch its first MENA equities fund in Q3 2008 and expects more than half of its investment to come from global institutional investors. As a top five asset management company in all its represented markets, ING IM will also offer regional investors access to an array of innovative financial vehicles that meet their demands for sophisticated investment strategies.

"For now ING is unique in that we are the only international asset management firm in the Middle East to set up a local engine with absolute global reach. Not only are we offering an extensive offshore product range, we are also introducing onshore product development," Bailey adds.

With a footprint covering more than 30 countries, including some of the world's fastest growing economies such as China, India, Brazil and Eastern Europe, ING IM ranks as a leader in emerging markets. The firm will offer tailor made solutions to governments, banks, corporates, pension funds, family offices and high net worth (HNW) individuals looking to invest in the MENA region through a highly experienced and consistently outperforming team of fund managers and analysts.

ING IM's Middle Eastern operations are licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and run by a team of multilingual regional and international investment professionals. Its investment style seeks to deliver consistent returns while preserving capital in a disciplined and risk controlled manner.

Profile ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 125,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

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Business: ING USFS, Nissan Motor initiatives honored with the 2008 Catalyst Award

Award celebrates innovative initiatives that advance women and business

New York (BUSINESS WIRE) - Catalyst today presented the 2008 Catalyst Award for initiatives that advance women in the workplace to ING U.S. Financial Services (USFS) and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Both award-winning initiatives are from companies representing organizations that are headquartered outside of the United States, a first in the history of the Catalyst Award. The award, given during the Catalyst Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, attracted approximately 90 CEOs of major corporations and firms and nearly 1600 senior executives and industry leaders from over 200 U.S. and global companies.

"This year's exceptional initiatives, both from global companies, show impact regionally and relevance globally," said Ilene H. Lang, President of Catalyst. "They reflect the Catalyst perspective -- that inclusion drives change and women's advancement which, in turn, drives business success."
Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman and CEO of American Express Company, chaired the Catalyst Awards Dinner.

"Winning in today's global marketplace requires talented and dedicated employees who reflect the diversity of the markets they are serving. They make the measurable difference in understanding the unique needs and aspirations of customers throughout the world," Mr Chenault said.

American Express received the 2001 Catalyst Award for its Building a Winning Culture: Accountability Counts initiative.

ING USFS's Beyond Diversity: Building One ING Culture initiative dramatically increased the number of women in senior management teams and created a culture that identifies diversity and inclusion as a business imperative. Thomas J.

McInerney, ING Group Executive Board member, Chairman and CEO, ING Insurance Americas, said, "At ING, our initiative isn't just about doing the right thing. Joining the list of recipients of the Catalyst Award reflects the dedication of ING's commitment to diversity and inclusion not only for our workforce, but also our customers. This is an essential milestone in our growth as a company, and we are honored to be recognized."

Nissan's Women in the Driver's Seat: Gender Diversity as a Lever in Japan initiative focused on increasing the number of women managers and employees, using gender diversity to secure business success by increasing participation from all employees in all areas of business.

Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., said, "To be successful, we need to reflect the world we serve.
At Nissan, we believe diversity is wealth, diversity is a strength. Fairness, respect and inclusion are not merely admirable qualities - they are essential to the cross-functional teamwork that is at the heart of Nissan's performance."

Earlier in the day, over 500 people attended the Catalyst Awards Conference, which featured workshops on critical issues of leadership and inclusion in today's workplace.

Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, Inc., delivered the lunchtime keynote, which focused on her journey to becoming the leader of one of the largest multinational corporations in the world. Under her leadership, PepsiCo was the recipient of the 2007 Catalyst Award for its Women of Color Multicultural Alliance initiative.

In the afternoon, leading researchers and experts on diversity and inclusion issues in the workplace engaged in three wide-ranging panel discussions based on current and upcoming Catalyst research. In the Women of Color and Intersectionality session, Catalyst experts and business leaders discussed the challenges of combining various identities in a productive working environment, and shared personal stories of how they managed to successfully balance the intersection between the ways they identify themselves and their professional lives.

The Meeting at the Generational Crossroads session explored the differences and potential similarities of women and men generationally and across the globe. The discussion focused on issues organizations are facing with four generations working together in today's workplace, and what some corporations are doing to break down the generational stereotypes in order to create a truly inclusive work environment.

The Including Men in Gender Equity session examined why men are an important missing factor in developing initiatives that build gender inclusiveness. Catalyst researchers and distinguished male experts talked about the barriers to engaging men in gender diversity initiatives, and looked at strategies that would help more men become champions of gender diversity.

The Conference also highlighted the successes of this year's Award-winning initiatives during panel discussions by executives from ING and Nissan. Cadillac served as the exclusive sponsor of the Catalyst Awards conference and Shell Oil Company served as the exclusive sponsor of the Catalyst Awards dinner.

For complete descriptions of past and present Catalyst Award-winning initiatives and the Catalyst Awards Conference, please visit www.catalyst.org.

For media inquiries, please contact Susan Nierenberg, 646-388-7744, snierenberg@catalyst.org orEleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden, ethaller-jorden@catalyst.org, 41-(0) 44-208-3152.

About Catalyst

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business.
With offices in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and the support and confidence of more than 370 leading corporations, firms, business schools, and associations, Catalyst is connected to business and its changing needs and is the premier resource for information and data about women in the workplace.

In addition, Catalyst honors exemplary business initiatives that promote women's leadership with the annual Catalyst Award.

About the Catalyst Award

The Catalyst Award is presented annually to companies and firms with outstanding initiatives that result in women's career development and advancement. Catalyst's rigorous, year-long examination of initiatives and their measurable results culminates in intensive, on-site reviews at finalist companies.

The Catalyst Award provides the business community with replicable change models that are good for business and good for women. For more information about Catalyst and the Catalyst Award application process, please visit www.catalyst.org.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to more than 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 15 million customers across the nation.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan Motor Company generated global net revenues of 10.468 trillion yen in 2006. Nissan is present in all major global auto markets selling a comprehensive range of cars, pickup trucks, SUVs and light commercial vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. Nissan employs over 180,000 people worldwide.
Under the Nissan Value-Up business plan, the company continues to focus on long-term sustainable and profitable growth driven by three commitments: to maintain top level of operating profit margin among global automakers, to achieve global sales of 4.2 million units in 2009, and 20% return on invested capital on average over the course of the plan.

CatalystMedia: Susan Nierenberg, 646-388-7744 snierenberg@catalyst.org
or Eleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden, 41-(0) 44-208-3152 ethaller-jorden@catalyst.org

ING announces `Fresh Eyes` 2008 global art competition

London, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ING Group today launches 'ING Fresh Eyes' 2008, a global art competition to give budding artists access to the exclusive world of Formula 1, entered via a dedicated website, www.ingfresheyes.com

Winners from around the world will be selected by a judging panel, including the internationally renowned artist, Sir Peter Blake, art collector & ING Renault F1 Team Managing Director, Flavio Briatore, and The (London) Times art critic, Rachel Campbell Johnston.

Each winner will get an exclusive, behind the scenes trip to a Grand Prix and be mentored by one of ING's famous artists 'in residence', in order to experience and capture the spirit of F1.

The winner and artist in residence will supply ING with works inspired by their time at the GP. ING will then choose one work by each artist to be auctioned for charity at a special exhibition to be held in London later this year.

ING Fresh Eyes 2008 is split into five national competitions taking place in Australia, Belgium, Hungary, Spain and the UK, and a global competition to attend the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix. Residents of each of the five named markets, and 'rest of world' entrants will be asked to submit up to three examples of their art work to www.ingfresheyes.com, which will then be put to the judging panel for consideration.

ING Fresh Eyes 2008 follows the successful launch of the concept in 2007, which embedded graduate artists at nine GPs. As one of F1's leading sponsors, ING aims to forge closer links between the arts and sports worlds, and provide an unrivalled high-profile platform for discovering emerging art talent from across the world.

Sir Peter Blake, on his appointment to the panel, said: "It is fantastic to be involved in such a forward-thinking scheme - although on paper art and F1 seem unusual bed fellows, it's a great proposition for raw talent to capture the pace of the sport whilst revealing what goes on behind the scenes. By having a mentor on site, artists will not only get the opportunity to access rare material, but also learn from some of the most renowned artistic talent around."

Flavio Briatore said: "I'm very happy that ING, working with the ING Renault F1 Team, is able to give a unique behind-the-scenes insight at a GP, whilst being mentored by a highly-respected contemporary artist. Art and F1 are both passions of mine, and to bring them together in this way is very exciting for me personally."

ING Profile

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

CONTACT: Rachel Flynn,
+44 20 7072 4138, or
Phil Hale,
+4420 7711 6872, or
Jon Tracey,
+4420 77676373,
jonathan.tracey@uk.ing.com,
all of ING Renault F1 Programme Communications
Web site: http://www.ingfresheyes.com
SOURCE: ING Group

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