• These resources will be directed, mainly, to improve the customer experience, generate efficiencies, digital transformation and develop solutions, products and channels.
• The Company expects to accelerate the profitable growth of its subsidiaries' businesses this year, which accompany more than 37 million customers in the region.
• The General Assembly of Shareholders approved on Friday a dividend of COP 550 per ordinary and preferential share, a growth of 6.2% compared to 2018.

In the framework of the General Assembly of Shareholders, Grupo SURA announced this Friday that, together with its subsidiaries Suramericana and SURA Asset Management, it contemplates investments for this year of USD 80 million (close to COP 252,000 million), consistent with its objectives of Accelerate profitable growth under three strategic priorities: business transformation and evolution, creation of greater value to customers, and financial strength and investment capacity.

"This year we expect to advance even more in the organic and profitable business growth, the gradual reduction of our debt and in accompanying the consolidation of the positive operating performance of the portfolio companies, especially our subsidiaries SURA Asset Management and Suramericana, that continue transforming and evolving their businesses, leveraged in new technologies and innovation, in order to create more value for each of the more than 37 million customers that SURA accompanies in Latin America, "said David Bojanini, President of Grupo SURA.

The planned investments will mainly be aimed at improving the experience of people and companies that are SURA clients in the region, digital transformation, technological updating, innovation, process optimization, as well as the development of new solutions and products in the main Business lines of the Business Group.

Suramericana (specialized in insurance and trend and risk management) foresees investments in projects that will improve the performance, diversification of solutions portfolios and market development of the nine Seguros SURA operations in the region, which total more than 17.2 million clients.

For its part, SURA Asset Management (expert in pensions, asset management, savings and investment) will advance initiatives associated with aspects such as the experience of its 19.8 million customers, strengthening its savings and investment business for people and generating efficiencies in the mandatory business (mandatory pensions). Likewise, he works to promote his recently created Investment Management Unit, aimed at the institutional client.

In the meantime, the holding company Grupo SURA will invest in innovation projects and opportunities associated with the corporate venture program SURA Ventures, in which by 2018 USD 32.6 million have been invested and makes it possible to globally identify new applied technologies and innovative business models in financial services. and health.

Also during the General Assembly of Shareholders, significant figures were reported for the sustainable management of the Business Group during 2018, such as:

The value of the Grupo SURA portfolio now amounts to COP 32.1 billion (USD 9,877 million). In this portfolio, investments in companies in the financial services sector weigh 75.4%.
Together, the companies of the SURA-Bancolombia Financial Conglomerate manage assets for COP 686.9 billion (USD 211,367 million).

At the end of the year, the consolidated revenues of the Group totaled COP 19.5 billion (USD 6,587 million), for a profit, before accounting effects for divestments, of COP 1.4 trillion (USD 476 million), with growth of 7.6%.
In terms of social management, 2.65 million people benefited in Latin America, with an investment of COP 35,257 million (USD 11.9 million), 59% through the SURA Foundation, in the three countries where it is established: Colombia, Chile and Mexico.

With 32 financial education programs and 27 solutions and products focused on financial inclusion, more than 4 million people benefited in the different countries where the Group is present.

Distribución de utilidades

La Asamblea General de Accionistas aprobó la distribución de COP 320,087 millones de utilidades para el pago de dividendos, a razón de COP 550 por cada acción ordinaria y preferencial, es decir, un incremento de 6.2% frente al dividendo pagado el año anterior y un 3% superior al incremento de la tasa de inflación colombiana de 2018. La aprobación confirma la evolución ascendente del pago de dividendos durante los últimos años, como se aprecia a continuación:

Estos dividendos se pagarán en cuatro cuotas iguales de COP 137.5 por acción los próximos 12 de abril, 2 de julio, 1° de octubre y el 2 de enero de 2020. Esta distribución es posible gracias a los resultados financieros del Grupo Empresarial, que permitieron a la compañía holding Grupo SURA percibir una utilidad neta separada de COP 648,593 millones (USD 291.5 millones).

Los principales accionistas de Grupo SURA son los fondos de pensiones y cesantías (28.5% de participación), que administran el ahorro previsional de más de 15.5 millones de trabajadores colombianos. La Compañía cerró 2018 con 11,102 accionistas, 9,465 son personas naturales y 501 fondos internacionales.