GREENVILLE, S.C., April 16, 2012 – Fixed annuity carrier Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company has received the 2012 Carrier Visionary Award from iPipeline, a leading provider of sales distribution software to the insurance industry. The award was presented to Athene at iPipeline’s Connections 2012 User Meeting & Conference held at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

The award is one of iPipeline’s Insurance Industry Leadership Awards, given each year to recognize clients who demonstrate industry leadership in technological innovation. Athene Annuity and iPipeline are collaborating on the development of an integrated web-based agent portal to support the carrier’s independent sales distribution.

“With its active embrace of sales channel automation Athene Annuity is helping to create the future of the insurance industry,” said Tim Wallace, CEO, iPipeline. “Speed to contract is critical when selling annuities, especially when the agent is not only competing against other firms but alternative savings and investment options. When fully deployed, Athene Annuity’s agent portal will provide an end-to-end solution that includes illustrations, actionable information, intelligent fillable iGO™ e-Apps, and PolicyEX™ for electronic delivery.”

“We are honored to be recognized by iPipeline, a leading provider of technology solutions to our industry, and pleased to partner with them in building an integrated sales platform for our producers and marketing partners,” said Chris Grady, head of retail for Athene Annuity. “We recognize the vital role of innovative technology in making our industry more competitive and more responsive to market needs.”

About Athene Annuity
A subsidiary of Bermuda-based Athene Holding Ltd., Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company provides income solutions that help Americans prepare for retirement. For over a century, Athene Annuity has earned the trust of its policyholders through financial stability, integrity and service. Its main administrative office is in Greenville, S.C. For more, please visit www.AtheneAnnuity.com.

About Athene Holding Ltd.
Athene Holding Ltd.’s insurance subsidiaries are net investment spread businesses that fund themselves through retail sales of annuities and reinsurance in the U.S. retirement services market, and sales of institutional funding agreements. Athene invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of highly-rated, liquid, fixed income securities. Athene Holding Ltd.’s principal subsidiaries include Athene Life Re Ltd., a Bermuda-based reinsurer focused on the retirement services market; Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company, a Delaware-domiciled stock life insurance company focused on retail sales and reinsurance; and Athene Life Insurance Company, an Indiana-domiciled stock life insurance company focused on the institutional funding agreement market.

Athene’s management team has many years of experience managing net investment spread businesses within life insurance companies. James R. Belardi, Chief Executive Officer of both Athene Holding Ltd. and Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Company, previously served as President of SunAmerica Life Insurance Company and Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of AIG Retirement Services.

About iPipeline
iPipeline leads its industry in providing the next-generation suite of sales distribution software to the insurance and financial services markets through its on-demand service. iPipeline’s channel solutions for carriers, distributors, and producers automate activities for CRM, forms distribution and processing, quotes and illustrations, in Good Order e-Applications, agency management, data services, policy delivery and related services, enabling the insurance industry to market, sell, and process faster. iPipeline provides the process automation and seamless integration needed to make a sale by aggregating approximately 120 carriers, 1,200 distributors, and 400,000 financial professionals and advisors in a single, Web-based environment — the iPipeline Customer Network. With headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, iPipeline has offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, and Vancouver. Visit us at www.ipipeline.com.

Media Contact
Bill Free 864-609-1187
bfree@athene.com