Donald J. Shepard Elected Vice Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

WASHINGTON, DC—The United States Chamber of Commerce's board of directors today elected Donald J. Shepard as its vice chairman. The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region. Shepard is chairman of the executive board and CEO of AEGON N.V.

"Don understands the business community's role in advocating for government policies and legislation that support economic growth and prosperity," said Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue. "Over the years, Don has proven his status as a visionary. He was one of the driving forces behind the creation of our groundbreaking Institute for Legal Reform. Going forward I know he will be a tireless champion for our competitiveness agenda: strengthening our human capital, bolstering our infrastructure, boosting our energy supplies, and making our capital markets more efficient."

Shepard is one of the first American CEOs of a major European financial company. Netherlands-based AEGON is one of the world's largest insurance companies measured by market capitalization and assets, offering a variety of life insurance, pension, and investment products. Worldwide, AEGON employs 29,000 people with 13,000 U.S. employees. The insurer services tens of millions of customers in 20 markets with 65% of its market based in the United States.

Shepard began his career with Life Investors, Inc., an insurance holding company, in 1970. Serving in various management and executive functions with Life Investors, he became executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1985, a position he held until AEGON consolidated its other U.S. operations with Life Investors to form AEGON USA in 1989 when he was appointed chief executive officer. In 1992, he became a member of the executive board of AEGON N.V. and in April 2002 he was appointed chairman of the executive board and CEO.

Shepard has served on the U.S. Chamber's board of directors since 1998 and is currently a member of the Chamber's Executive/Budget Committee. He was treasurer of the Chamber from 2000 to 2003, during which time he was instrumental in the solidification and subsequent growth of the Chamber's financial position.

An Iowa native, Shepard holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He serves as a member of the board of directors of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., and CSX Corporation, and is a past chairman of the Financial Services Roundtable. He is a trustee of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins University.

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