Filed by Jefferson-Pilot Corporation
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and Deemed Filed Pursuant to Rule 14a-12
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Jefferson-Pilot Corporation
(Commission File No. 333-130226)
Employer Markets Strategy
By Wes Thompson
Lincoln Financial Group has been a player
in the employer-sponsored business for
years, but we have not had a
consolidated, consistent approach and
growth strategy to bring all of the
products together under one business and
profit center. This year we will make it
happen.
Rationale
While the timing of this merger makes it
even more exciting, building an Employer
Markets business unit makes sense for
many marketplace reasons.
With nearly 80 million baby boomers
beginning to retire this year, the
retirement income market is enormous and
there has never been a better time to
strengthen our focus on their needs. With
a strategic approach, we can build
valuable links for investors between the
accumulation, protection and
income-drawing years.
In addition, bringing together the assets
of businesses that are dispersed across
multiple business units and both
companies allows us to leverage
enterprise expertise and capabilities.
And it will greatly strengthen our
visibility in the marketplace.
Development
Since the announcement of my new
leadership team for Employer Markets, I
have been working with an integration
strategy team of representatives across
Lincoln and Jefferson Pilot to assess the
market and our combined products,
distribution, operational capabilities,
strengths, and challenges. This analysis
will help us set strategic direction and
provide critical data that will determine
our operating model and how we build out
the next level of our organization.
Facts
To give you some perspective on what
Employer Markets will look like
initially, we have developed a fact sheet
that illustrates the current product
offerings and numbers of employees
associated with those lines of business.
(See attachment below.)
Distribution
Due to the specialized nature
of Employer Markets and the
cross-selling opportunities we
will enjoy (especially once
Lincolns retirement plan
businesses join forces with
Jefferson Pilots Benefit
Partners), we will maintain
distribution capability within
the Employer Markets business
unit. I intend to hire a head
of distribution who will round
out my leadership team.
Transition
By the time the merger closes
at the end of the first
quarter, Employer Markets will
be fully operational as a
business unit within the New
Lincoln. Between now and then,
I continue to drive the
business of LFD, and I am
working with Warren May on the
transition of leadership for
that business unit.
I would like to thank all of
the members of the Employer
Markets Leadership Team and
Strategy Team for their input
and insight during the
transition and integration
process. As Ive traveled
across Lincoln and Jefferson
Pilot to learn more about this
business, I have been
overwhelmed with the support,
enthusiasm and ideas people
have for these efforts.
This is going to be an exciting
year for the new Lincoln, and I
am looking ahead with great
optimism as we meet the
challenges in Employer Markets.
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Employer Markets
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Integration Fact Sheet |
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Employer Markets 12-Month Mission/Objective:
To establish Employer Markets as a viable business unit, including the integration of pieces
currently dispersed throughout LFG, and to ultimately achieve profitable market share growth.
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Geographic Locations: |
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Lincoln Financial |
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Jefferson Pilot |
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Philadelphia, PA
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Omaha, NE |
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Ft. Wayne, IN
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Atlanta, GA |
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Hartford, CT
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Greensboro, NC |
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Portland, ME |
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Arlington Heights, IL |
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Approximate Employee and Sales Force Counts
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Lincoln Financial |
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Jefferson Pilot |
Dedicated Employer Markets Employees*: |
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850 |
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1,150 |
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Combined Total Employees: |
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over 2000 |
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Dedicated Sales Force: |
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325 |
** |
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120 |
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Combined Total Sales Force: |
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nearly 450 |
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*includes sales force
**includes Lincoln Financial Distributors, Lincoln Financial Advisors Employer Retirement Markets,
Fringe Benefit Division, & California Fringe Benefits
Product Rankings The New Employer Markets:
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No. 6 in defined contribution sponsors
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No. 16 in defined contribution assets |
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No. 8 in Group Disability Sales
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No. 21 in defined contribution participants |
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No. 13 in Group Life Sales |
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Sources: Pensions and Investments 2005, LIMRA
Existing Employer Markets Products:
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DirectorSM
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Alliance® |
Multi-Fund®
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GVA |
Lincoln IndependenceSM
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Executive Benefits (COLI, BOLI) |
DB Pension Business
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Group Short-term Disability |
Group Long-term Disability
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Group Life |
Group Dental |
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Customers Served:
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Lincoln
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Jefferson Pilot
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Combined
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Plan Sponsors
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28,500 |
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31,300 |
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59,800 |
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Plan Participants
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1.2M |
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3.65M |
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4.85M |
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Integration Milestones Next 90 Days
30-60 Days:
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Develop high level strategy and assumptionsValue Proposition and Operating Assumptions |
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Organizational design and next tier talent selection |
90 Days:
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Develop detailed integration plans including current and future statesfunction
and process inventory, operating budgets, locations and headcounts, and cost-savings
vs. targets |
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Build out remaining Employer Markets organization |
Merger
Close: Launch Day One Integration Plans
Employer Markets Leadership Team:
Wes Thompson
Corp. Shared Services
HR Kim Miner
Communications - Judimarie Thomas
IT Gerhard Blummers
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Bob Bates
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Jeff Coutts
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Diane McCarthy
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Open
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Mike Smith |
- Benefit Partners
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Product & Marketing
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- Integration Officer
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Distribution
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Operations & |
- Group Life
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- Strategy & Profitability Management
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Relationship Management |
Employer Markets Strategy & Integration Team
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Program Management
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Product/Marketing
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Operations & Rel. Mgmt.
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Distribution |
- Claire Burns (L&A)
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- Kelly Clevenger (L&A)
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- Kathy Gorman (L&A)
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- Celeste Gurulé (CFB) |
- Justin DiLucchio (L&A)
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- Mark Hackl (Del.)
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- Michelle Booth (L&A)
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- Nancy Briguglio (LFD) |
- Joel Lieginger (L&A)
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- Tom McConnell (Del.)
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- Roberta Tielinen (L&A)
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- Jim McCrory (LFD) |
- Shaun Patel (LFD)
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- Tony Laudato (L&A)
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- Steve Johnson (L&A)
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- Bob Bond (ERM) |
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- Karina Istvan (LFD)
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- Marcy Arnold (AMG)
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- Carolyn Brody (ERM) |
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- Bob Culver (BP)
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- Bill Herx (Del.)
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- Garry Spence (ERM) |
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- Ted Wood (Del.)
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- Bob Smith (L&A) |
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- Emma Ladd (L&A)
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- Greg Amick (AMG) |
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- Bob Toth (L&A)
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- Len Cavallaro (BP) |
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- Sandy Callahan (BP) |
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AMG = Administrative Management Group
Del = Delaware Investments
LFD = Lincoln Financial Distributors
BP = Benefit Partners
ERM = Employer Retirement Markets
CFB = California Fringe Benefits
L&A = Lincoln Life & Annuity
In connection with the proposed transaction, Lincoln National Corporation has filed
with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-130226),
including a joint proxy statement/prospectus, and other materials. WE URGE INVESTORS TO
READ THE DEFINITIVE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND THESE OTHER DOCUMENTS
CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT
DECISIONS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED
TRANSACTION. Investors will be able to obtain free copies of these materials (when
available), as well as other filings containing information about Lincoln and
Jefferson-Pilot, without charge, at the Securities and Exchange Commissions website
(www.sec.gov). In addition, free copies of the definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus will be (when available), and Lincolns other SEC filings are,
also available on Lincolns website (www.lfg.com). Free copies of the registration
statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus will be (when available), and
Jefferson-Pilots other SEC filings are, also available on Jefferson-Pilots website
(www.jpfinancial.com).
Lincoln, Jefferson-Pilot, their respective directors and officers and other persons may
be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in
respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Lincolns directors and
executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004 and in its proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 8, 2005, and
information regarding Jefferson-Pilots directors and executive officers is available
in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and in its proxy
statement filed with the SEC on March 24, 2005. More detailed information regarding the
identity of potential participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their
direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is available in the
preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus contained in the above-referenced
Registration Statement on Form S-4.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Except for historical information contained in this document, statements made in this
document are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). A forward-looking statement is a statement
that is not a historical fact and, without limitation, includes any statement that may
predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and
may contain words like: believe, anticipate, expect, estimate, project,
will, shall and other words or phrases with similar meaning. We claim the
protection afforded by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the
PSLRA. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
actual results to differ materially from the results contained in the forward-looking
statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary materially,
some of which are described within the forward-looking statements include, among
others: (1) the Lincoln shareholders may not approve the issuance of shares in
connection with the merger and/or the Jefferson-Pilot shareholders may not approve and
adopt the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement at
the special shareholder meetings; (2) we may be unable to obtain regulatory approvals
required for the merger, or required regulatory approvals may delay the merger or
result in the imposition of conditions that could have a material adverse effect on the
combined company or cause us to abandon the merger; (3) we may be unable to complete
the merger or completing the merger may be more costly than expected because, among
other reasons, conditions to the closing of the merger may not be satisfied; (4)
problems may arise with the ability to successfully integrate Lincolns and
Jefferson-Pilots businesses, which may result in the combined company not operating as
effectively and efficiently as expected; (5) the combined company may not be able to
achieve the expected synergies from the merger or it may take longer than expected to
achieve those synergies; (6) the merger may involve unexpected costs or unexpected
liabilities, or the effects of purchase accounting may be different from our
expectations; (7) the credit and insurer financial strength ratings of the combined
company and its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect; and (8)
the combined company may be adversely affected by future legislative, regulatory, or
tax changes as well as other economic, business and/or competitive factors.
The risks included here are not exhaustive. The Registration Statement on Form S-4
(Registration No. 333-130226) filed by Lincoln with the SEC on December 8, 2005, as
well as annual reports on Form 10-K, current reports on Form 8-K and other documents
filed by Lincoln and Jefferson-Pilot with the Securities and Exchange Commission
include additional factors that could impact our businesses and financial performance.
Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. In addition, we disclaim
any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances that occur after the date of this document, except as may be required by
law.