Seguros Império, a founding member of Forum Portugal Global

Companhia de Seguros Império was established in 1942, as the insurance company of the CUF group. It was nationalized in 1975 and became the insurance platform in the financial area of the José de Mello Group when it was privatized in 1992. Império, with a capital of about $300 million and sales in 1995 about $475 million. Imperio leads the non-life segment with a 12% market share and ranks 6th in the life segment. Its work force is over 1700 people, with 80 branches and 2500 agents in Portugal. It is active in 14 countries, especially in Portuguese-speaking, in European Union countries with sizable Portuguese communitiies and in Spain. Imperio is the largest private health care provider in Portugal, and has interests in the private security and real estate sectors.

Seguros Império is represented by Vasco José de Mello, President of Executive Board. A graduate in international business administration of the American College of Switzerland in 1978, he worked in the Citicorp group in New York and São Paulo (Brazil) before becoming CEO of CUF Finance in Geneva in 1985. He now chairs Banco Mello Comercial, Investimentos and Imobiliario and is a member of the board of the José de Mello holding company.

Last updated October 17, 1996.