New Chief Executive of Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Since the present Chief Executive of Handelsbanken Fonder AB, Katja Bergqvist, has taken up a position as Head of Handelsbanken Capital Markets' business area for Savings and Asset Management, which includes mutual fund operations, a new chief executive has been appointed.

This will be Javiera Ragnartz, currently Head of Institutional Asset Management at SEB, who will take over as Chief Executive of Handelsbanken Fonder AB on 1 November 2012. Until then Katja Bergqvist remains as Chief Executive of the fund management company, a position which she has held for four years.

As at 30 June 2012, Handelsbanken Fonder managed SEK 202 billion, including the exchange-traded XACT funds. During the first half of the year, the inflow of new capital to Handelsbanken Fonder in Sweden was SEK 9.8 billion, equivalent to 83 per cent of the total flow on the market.

Handelsbanken Capital Markets comprises Handelsbanken's investment banking, asset management and pensions and insurance operations. Savings and Asset Management includes mutual fund operations, Handelsbanken Liv, Investment Centre and Private Banking.

This press release has been published since the exchange-traded funds under the XACT-brand are listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm and other marketplaces. There is therefore a formal requirement for Handelsbanken Fonder to publicly announce a change of chief executive.

This information was submitted for publication on Monday, 6 August 2012 at 2 p.m. CET.

For further information, please contact:

Katja Bergqvist, Head of Savings and Asset Management, Tel. +46 8-701 1000

Bengt Carlsson, Press Officer Handelsbanken, Tel. +46 8701 2630 or +46 70 508 9692
e-mail beca02@handelsbanken.se

For more information about Handelsbanken, see: www.handelsbanken.com