Grupo SURA wins the RobecoSAM Gold Class Award for Sustainability

​ This comes after the Company obtains one of the highest scores given by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index to companies belonging to the Diversified Financial Service Sector   Medellin. January 20, 2015  This week, the Colombian-based  Multi-Latina , Grupo SURA, received the Gold Class distinction for sustainability from RobecoSAM for its excellent performance in having obtained the second highest score on a global level amongst the companies from the Diversified Financial Service sector listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.  This, once again, reaffirms the commitment of both the Company and its subsidiaries with sustainable business practices in terms of their economic, environmental and social impacts.   RobecoSAM evaluated 89 companies from the Diversified Financial Service sector, of which 11 were admitted to the Dow Jones Global Index, including Grupo SURA. These evaluations were based on criteria such as Risk Management, Climate Change, Responsible Investment Practices and Stakeholder Relations, for which the Company was given a score leading to the Gold Class award.    "The fact that the Company has been included in the Sustainability Yearbook, in the Gold Class category, fills us with pride. Grupo Sura and our subsidiaries consider sustainability as one of our prime drivers of business development throughout the region, reflected in both our long-term view as well as our commitment to provide value to our investors and shareholders through a responsible and comprehensive handling of our business. This award provides us with tangible encouragement in continuing to improve upon our performance on a daily basis, incorporating and maintaining the best possible business practices," stated David Bojanini, CEO of Grupo SURA.   RobecoSAM is a specialized investment firm focused exclusively on Sustainable Investing. Each year it publishes its "Sustainability Yearbook", one of the most comprehensive reports on global corporate sustainability, highlighting all those companies upholding best practices from an economic, environmental and social standpoint, with which they provide added value for all stakeholders concerned. Based on the evaluation metrics implemented, RobecoSAM presents the following annual awards: Industry Leader, Gold Class, Silver Class, Bronze Class and Industry Mover.   The RobecoSAM awards provide a benchmarking tool for international investors from all over the world, given the comprehensive information provided with regard to the sustainable practices implemented by potential investee companies, which in turn ensures a sound financial performance on which they can rely in the long term. So much so, that there are investment funds that only invest in companies who comply with the highest sustainability standards. David Bojanini went on to mention that "Companies who are able to anticipate and handle both risks and opportunities both in the present and the future, are able to conquer leading positions and create added value for their shareholders as well as long-term benefits for their clients. Grupo SURA and its subsidiaries permanently strive towards this purpose."    It is worthwhile noting that in September 2014 the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes published their latest rankings. 6 Colombian companies were included in its Global Index, reflecting the best practices implemented in their respective industries. However, with regard to the Diversified Financial Service sector the only Latin American Company to be listed was Grupo SURA.     About Grupo SURA   Grupo de Inversiones Suramericana –GRUPO SURA- is a Latin American company listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange and registered with the ADR- Level 1 program in the United States. . We are also the only entity from Latin American Diversified Finance Service Sector to be admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which lists companies who have become global benchmarks thanks to the best practices they have adopted from an economic, environmental and social standpoint. GRUPO SURA has two fields of investment: its core strategic interests in the financial service, insurance, pension, savings and investment sectors; and its portfolio interests in the processed food, cement,  energy and real estate sectors.     About ROBECO SAM   Founded in 1995, RobecoSAM is considered as the world´s top investment management firms with an exclusive focus on sustainable assets. It is one of the main global benchmarks for responsible investing. Since 1999, it has provided its evaluation services for the Dow Jones Sustainability Index family.