First Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan, China)

First Financial Holding Co., Ltd. was incorporated on January 2, 2003 with First Bank as its flagship entity through a 100 percent share swap. It is listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange under the stock code 2892. Founded in 1899, First Bank was one of the three government-affiliated banks with the mission to allocate credit to underserved industrial and commercial businesses, finance national infrastructure, and serve as an underlying force of Taiwan’s great economic advancement. In 1998, First Bank became the largest private-owned bank on the island after privatization. Since then it has been able to secure leadership positions in such selected areas as the corporate banking, SME business, home mortgages, mutual-fund distribution, trade finance, deposit and lending. It currently owns 189 branches at home and continues to invest in its global presence through 17 overseas branches and its US subsidiary of First Bank (USA). With the historical groundwork well laid by First Bank, First Financial Holding Co. further diversified its business scopes into securities, property and casualty insurance and asset management on July 31, 2003, by acquiring First Taisec Securities Co., Ltd., Mingtai Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. and National Investment Trust Co., Ltd. On July 28, 2003, it successfully raised the equivalent of NT$17.3 billion fund through a global depository receipt program, the maiden issuance of Taiwanese financial institutions, which significantly shored up capital bases of the group and its subsidiaries. From May through September of 2004, in its second round of penetrating into new markets to deliver full product range and high quality services, First Financial Holding Co. established First Financial Asset Management Co., Ltd., First Venture Capital Co., Ltd., First Financial Management Consulting Co., Ltd., and First P&C Insurance Agency Co., Ltd. In 2005, First Financial Holding Co. repositioned strategies to become the leading play in the local and regional financial markets. It identified its banking channels as common platform from which to share resources, leverage capabilities across business units and provide clients with “one-stop shopping” products and services. In September, 2005, First Financial Holding Co. concluded the sale of its insurance unit, Mingtai Fire & Marine Insurance Co., to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. By April, 2006, subsidiary FCB completed the reengineering project. In order to capture the business opportunities in wealth management market, enhance universe at the sale channels of bank subsidiary, fill the demand on wealth management and pension plan for customers, and build up a superior brand image of personal wealth management for group, FFHC and Aviva Plc joinly form a life insurance JV company, First-Aviva life insurance company (“the Company”), in 2007, with FFHC held 51% of the equity share capital of the Company, which initiated its operation on January 2, 2008.To integrate external image of First as a compacted group, intensify the corporate identity of each subsidiary, and further converge employee with one heart, First Financial Holding officially renamed First Taisec Securities, National Investment Trust, and First Taisec Capital Management as First Securities, First Securities Investment Trust, and First Capital Management effective from December 31, 2008.A client-first approach and a firm commitment to delivering superior services remains the core of First Financial Holding Co. With an asset base of NT$1.6 trillion, more than five million customer base and solid client relationship built over a century, First Financial Holding Co. looks to its future with optimism, and is well-prepared for market changes that are taking place around the globe. It is the company’s belief that o