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- According to the study published by the magazine Business Week,MAPFRE Group ranks 21st in the World's Best Companies 2009 / Global Top 40.

- Is the only insurer in the world, and the first company in the financial sector, included in the list of the 40 companies that, according to the magazine, "are thriving in the recession and reparing for beyond".

MAPFRE ranks 21st in the World's Best Companies 2009 / Global Top 40 list published by the US magazine Business Week, which includes the companies that, in the current crisis environment, have "a commitment to innovation, diversified portfolios,  aggressive expansion, strong leadership and a clear vision for the future".

The study published by Business Week, and compiled by the consulting firm A.T. Kearney, underscores the wise internationalisation strategy of MAPFRE in Latin America, which began in the 1980's, as well as its recent commitment to the US and Turkish markets. A.T. Kearney also mentions the Group's wide range of products and its technological developments as two of its main competitive advantages. José Manuel Martínez, MAPFRE's Chairman, has stated his satisfaction with the conclusions of the report and with the global recognition its means for the professionalism of MAPFRE and of its 35.000 employees and almost 100.000 agents and collaborators. "We live in times of uncertainty, but also of hope, and companies, now more than ever, have to be able to keep on working to create wealth and employment, foster innovation and efficiency, and show themselves as sustainable institutions devoted to public service with strong ethical commitment and social responsibility".

The 40 World's Best Companies 2009 list includes companies from 18 countries and industries in the world. Technology and telecommunications enterprises, heavy industry and engineering outfits and commodities companies stand out in number. MAPFRE is the only insurer in the world in this list and the first company in the world's financial sector. This list, which is led by the Japanese company Nintendo and followed by the US Google and Apple, also includes the Spanish companies Inditex (No. 9) and Telefónica (No. 32).

"In an environment of continuous disruptive change, companies that have rigorous strategic planning initiatives that allow them to see over the horizon are far more likely to win than those that make it up as they go along," says Paul Laudicina, Chairman of A.T. Kearney. The report also underscores the role played by company leaders who, according to Norbert Jorek -partner at A.T. Kearney and principle author of the study- "driven by an idea,[these leaders] have taken time building their companies with the patience required to see their efforts come to fruition".

To create the list, the 2,500 largest publicly listed companies in the world were examined, singling out those with a minimum of $10 billion in sales in 2008, at least 25% of which came from outside the company's home region. It then ranked the companies on their sales growth and value creation -the rise of market capitalization after subtracting any increase in capital- over the past five years.

According to the consulting firm A.T. Kearney, this report proves that "with the right strategic planning, peripheral vision, and flexible execution, companies were able to generate positive returns even in the most challenging climate".

The report is available at www.businessweek.com

Business Week, which was founded in 1929 and is published by McGraw-Hill Companies, is one of the leading financial magazines in the world with more than 4.8 million readers in over 140 countries.

A.T. Kearney, founded in 1926, is one of the world's largest management consulting firms present in more than 32 countries, which develops business strategies, corporate operations and business transformations.