Edwin Harper to Assume Newly Created Public Affairs Position
Jerome Atkinson to Become General Counsel of Assurant Group; Katherine Greenzang to Assume Role of General Counsel for Fortis, Inc.

NEW YORK NY, June 5, 2001—Fortis, Inc., part of international financial services provider Fortis [BSE: FOR and AMS: FOR], today announced three key management appointments that are effective immediately.

Edwin L. Harper, formerly the Executive Vice President of Operations at Assurant Group, a Fortis, Inc. company that develops, underwrites and markets insurance, membership and extended service programs, has been chosen to fill the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Public Affairs/Government Relations for Fortis, Inc. In his new role, Dr. Harper will be responsible for managing Fortis, Inc.'s public policy strategy at both the federal and state level and will report directly to J. Kerry Clayton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis, Inc.

Mr. Clayton said, "We are delighted that Ed will be spearheading our efforts to play a more active role in educating legislators and regulators about the impact that proposed policy initiatives will have on our diverse specialty insurance businesses. Ed's unique background and expertise make him a terrific match for this position, and his appointment underscores our recognition of the growing importance that public advocacy plays in building and maintaining leadership positions in the markets we serve. I look forward to working closely with Ed to help shape a policy environment that enables us to achieve our business objectives by pursuing the best interests of our customers, our business partners, our employees, and the communities where we live and work."

Fortis, Inc. also announced that Jerome Atkinson is leaving his position as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Fortis, Inc. and Secretary to the Fortis, Inc. Board of Directors to become Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Assurant Group. Mr. Atkinson's new responsibilities at Assurant Group include government relations, compliance, licensing, regulatory administration, filings and privacy. He is replacing Assurant Group's outgoing Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Howard Wexler, who has left the company to pursue other career opportunities.

Katherine Greenzang has been promoted to Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary to the Fortis, Inc. Board of Directors from her previous position as Vice President and Corporate Counsel for Fortis, Inc. Ms. Greenzang will report directly to J. Kerry Clayton.

About Edwin Harper

Prior to joining Assurant Group in 1998, Dr. Harper held a number of senior management positions in the private sector, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of American Security Group; Vice Chairman of Commodore Applied Technologies; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of American Railroads; and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Campbell Soup Company. Earlier in his career, Dr. Harper gained valuable experience as a policy advisor, first as a Special Assistant to President Nixon on policy planning and budgeting, and later as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Chief of Policy Development in the Reagan Administration. Dr. Harper holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and a B.A. from Principia College in Elsah, IL.

About Jerome Atkinson

Mr. Atkinson, who has distinguished himself in several senior counsel positions within Fortis, Inc. over the past 13 years, has over 20 years of experience in legal advisory services in the credit insurance business. Prior to joining Fortis, Inc. in 1988 as an Assistant Vice President/Senior Staff Attorney for American Security Group, Mr. Atkinson was Assistant Secretary and Counsel and, later, Assistant Vice President, Credit Insurance, for the Signature Group. Earlier, he was counsel for CNA in both Corporate Relations and Marketing Compliance. Mr. Atkinson started his career in the Ford White House, first as Staff Attorney and then as Deputy General Counsel for the Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs. He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and has a B.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

About Katherine Greenzang

Ms. Greenzang joined Fortis, Inc. in 1994 as Corporate Counsel, was named Assistant Vice President the following year, and became Vice President and Corporate Counsel in 1997. Prior to joining Fortis, Inc., she spent the first four years of her legal career as an Associate with Dewey Ballantine. Ms. Greenzang has a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

About Fortis, Inc.

Fortis, Inc. is a financial services company that, through its operating companies and affiliates, has built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments in the U.S. The company has approximately $25 billion in assets under management. The companies of Fortis, Inc. are leading providers of individual, temporary and small group health insurance; group disability, life and dental insurance; preneed funeral insurance; credit related insurance products and services; and membership and extended service programs.

Fortis, Inc. is part of Fortis, an international financial services provider active in the fields of insurance, banking and investment. Fortis employs approximately 70,000 people worldwide and offers a broad range of financial services. In its home market, the Benelux countries, Fortis occupies a leading position and offers a broad range of financial services to individuals, companies and the public sector. Outside its home market, Fortis concentrates on selected market segments. At year-end 2000, Fortis had total assets in excess of $410 billion. As one of the world's largest financial services companies, Fortis ranks 26th on the Fortune 'Global 500' and 33rd on the Forbes 'World Super 50' (July 24, 2000). For more information, visit the company's website at www.fortis.com.

Contacts

Fortis, Inc.
Media:
Melissa Kivett
(212) 859-7029
[email protected]