[Supernan]

Q & A Aon and United

What does Aon do?
Aon is a global company, headquartered in Chicago. It has a global footprint, spanning more than 120 countries, 500 offices, and 37,000 employees. Around 5,400 employees work within its UK operations.

Aon is primarily an insurance and reinsurance broker (reinsurance being insurance for insurers), and is the leader in its sector. These operations are dealt with by its Aon Risk Services and Aon Benfield divisions respectively. As an insurance and reinsurance broker, Aon assists organizations across the world to obtain insurance cover for the risks they face. These risks are incredibly diverse: from natural catastrophes and employee injuries, to terrorism strikes and disruption to supply chains.

When finding insurance for these organizations, Aon has access to a wide range of global markets. The London Market (including the world-renowned Lloyd's of London) is one of the primary markets, as is the US market. Asia is also an important and growing market.

Aon's third key division is Aon Consulting. Aon Consulting is among the top global human consulting firms, with a team of 6,300 global experts who work with organizations to improve business performance and shape the workplace of the future through employee benefits, talent management and rewards strategies and solutions.

Aon is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol AOC.

Why was the Manchester United / Aon partnership attractive?
Manchester United invited just a few firms to tender for the key sponsorship of its team, and so we were very pleased to be selected. Whilst Aon is already the world's largest insurance and reinsurance broker, and a company many people come into contact with in their daily lives without even realizing it we wanted to build brand recognition outside of our immediate sector and establish a worldwide platform to communicate to clients and prospects about the value we can bring to their business. We felt that partnering with Manchester United — football's most recognized brand — was the perfect way to do this.

What was appealing about football and Manchester United specifically?
Football is dynamic, competitive and appeals to a global audience. It transcends cultures and people, and brings communities together like no other sport. It goes without saying that for Aon to become part of this high energy environment is extremely exciting. Like Aon, Manchester United has a truly global reach. The club has a great pedigree, and shares both our ambition for worldwide appeal, and our pursuit of excellence. This partnership allows us to bring the Manchester United brand into our core business areas, and will help us to grow in emerging insurance and reinsurance markets, such as parts of Asia, where the Manchester United brand is very strong. The Manchester United shirt is an iconic image in the world of sport, and the chance to appear on it is very rare — we are only the fourth company to do so in history of the club.

How will this partnership work?
This is a four-year global partnership and brand sponsorship agreement which, in addition to having Aon's brand on the Manchester United shirt, will present opportunities for joint product marketing and services to consumers. The Aon logo will appear on the shirts from the 2010/11 season, and we feel that tremendous benefits will arise from having our brand exposed to the millions of fans across the world that follow this team every day.

Was this a big decision for Aon in the current economic climate?
The economic downturn has affected virtually all businesses, but we felt that we had to continue to be forward thinking in our attitude. An opportunity such as this to build a world recognized brand rarely presents itself, and it seemed that we should grab it now and reap the rewards in the years to come. In general, our sector has been less affected than those of the other global financial services providers, and so we were fortunate to be in a position where we could seriously consider an opportunity of this scale.

How do you rate the Manchester United brand?
The club should be commended for the way it has marketed itself globally. Most football fans, whether they support Manchester United or not, would agree that the club has helped spread interest in the Premiership throughout the world, which has benefited all teams in terms of more lucrative television rights and sponsorship deals. Aon will benefit from Manchester United's increasing global fan base, which is testament to the appeal of the brand and the players. For instance, anyone who has traveled throughout Asia will know that many countries in the region have taken Premiership football to their hearts in as passionate a way as the club's domestic fans. We would like to assure all Manchester United fans that they will see a very committed partner in Aon, which will be more than just a name on the shirt.

Manchester United is very active on the charitable front. How will Aon participate?
Throughout our existence as a global firm, Aon has always taken seriously its community responsibilities. Our mantra is that we give back to those communities in which we do business, and considering we do business in more than 120 countries, this leaves us a wide scope for charitable work. In partnering with Manchester United, we have the opportunity to work with a club that shares our values in this regard. When considering this sponsorship, Manchester United's "United for UNICEF" campaign was particularly appealing. There is no other sport that teaches young people the principles of teamwork and striving for excellence as much as football, and there is no other sports organization in the world that teaches the values of UNICEF as well as Manchester United does.