PAGE 1 Registration No. 33- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 TRANSAMERICA CORPORATION (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter) DELAWARE 94-0932740 (State or jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 600 MONTGOMERY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94111 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) TRANSAMERICA CORPORATION EMPLOYEES STOCK SAVINGS PLAN (Full Title of the Plan) Christopher M. McLain Senior Vice President and General Counsel Transamerica Corporation 600 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94111 (Name and address of agent for service) Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service: (415) 983-4000 Copies to: John E. Aguirre Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Old Federal Reserve Bank Building 400 Sansome Street San Francisco, CA 94111 Proposed Proposed Title of Maximum Maximum Securities Amount Offering Aggregate Amount of to be to be Price Offering Registration Registered Registered Per Share(1) Price(1) Fee (1) Common Stock(2) 1,400,000 $51.75 $72,450,000.00 $24,983.00 shares PAGE 2 (1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on the basis of $51.75 per share, the average of the high and low prices reported for the Common Stock on September 19, 1994, as reported by the NYSE. (2) Associated with the Common Stock are Preference Stock Purchase Rights which will not be exercisable or be evidenced separately from the Common Stock prior to the occurrence of certain events. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein. PAGE 3 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE The following documents are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement: (i) Transamerica Corporation's (the "Corporation") and the Transamerica Corporation Employees Stock Savings Plan's (the "Plan") latest annual report filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"); (ii) all other reports filed by the Corporation pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Corporation's latest annual report; and (iii) the description of the Corporation's common stock contained in the Corporation's Registration Statement on Form 8-A, as it may have been amended from time to time. All documents filed by the Corporation or the Plan after the date of this registration statement pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES Inapplicable. ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL Inapplicable. ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS As authorized by Section 145 of the Delaware Corporation Law, the Corporation's Certificate of Incorporation eliminates the personal liability of its directors to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for: (i) any breach of the duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) liability under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (involving certain unlawful dividends or stock repurchases) or (iv) any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. As authorized by Section 145 of the Delaware Corporation Law, the Corporation's By-Laws provide for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents in certain cases. Indemnification shall be provided when a person is made a party or is threatened PAGE 4 to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or a director, officer, employee or agent of another enterprise, serving as such at the request of the Corporation; provided, however, that no indemnification shall be provided to any such person if a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the director or officer establishes that the director or officer did not act in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed by him or her to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation or, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful; and provided, further, that, except as to actions to enforce indemnification rights, the Corporation shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) initiated against any such person only if the action, suit or proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. When indemnification is required, the director or officer shall be indemnified for losses, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith. If such proceeding is brought by or on behalf of the Corporation, such person shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed by him or her to be in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the Corporation. There can be no indemnification with respect to any matter as to which such person is adjudged to be liable to the Corporation; however, a court may, even in such case, allow indemnification to such person for such expenses as the court deems proper. The Corporation's By-Laws provide that, notwithstanding the foregoing, where such person is successful in any such proceeding, he or she is entitled to be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her. In all other cases, he or she is entitled to be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her unless the Corporation has determined that indemnification of such person is not proper because he or she has not met the applicable standard of conduct. In addition to the above, the Corporation has entered into Indemnification Agreements (the "Indemnification Agreements") with each of its directors. The Indemnification Agreements provide directors with generally the same indemnification by the Corporation as is set forth in the immediately preceding paragraphs except that the Indemnification Agreements differ from the By-Laws in the following significant respects: (1) following a change in control (as defined) of the Corporation, approval by PAGE 5 the Board of Directors of the Corporation of a claim initiated by a director is not required as a condition to such person's indemnification rights; and (2) no indemnification shall be provided to a director if a final adjudication or judgment adverse to such person establishes that such person did not meet the required standard of care and such person's actions were material to the cause of action adjudicated or, with respect to an action brought by or in the right of the Corporation, that such person committed an act for which personal liability has not been eliminated under the Corporation's Certificate of Incorporation. The Indemnification Agreements also provide for (i) arbitration of indemnification claims after a change in control of the Corporation, (ii) if a potential change in control or a change in control occurs, the establishment of a trust for the benefit of an indemnitee of reasonably anticipated indemnification amounts, and (iii) if the indemnification provided in the Indemnification Agreements is not available, contribution by the Corporation based on the relative benefits to the Corporation and the indemnitee and the relative fault of the Corporation and the indemnitee. There is directors and officers liability insurance currently in force which insures directors and officers of the Corporation. The policy covers losses for which the Corporation shall be required or permitted by law to indemnify directors and officers and which result from claims made against such directors or officers based upon the commission of wrongful acts in the performance of their duties. The policy also covers losses which the directors or officers must pay as the result of claims brought against them based upon the commission of wrongful acts in the performance of their duties and for which they are not indemnified by the Corporation. The losses covered by the policy are subject to certain exclusions and do not include fines or penalties imposed by law or other matters deemed uninsurable under the law. The policy contains certain deductible provisions. ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED Inapplicable. ITEM 8. EXHIBITS 4.1 The Transamerica Corporation Employees Stock Savings Plan, January 1, 1993 Amendment and Restatement, as amended by Amendment No. 1. PAGE 6 5.1 Undertaking re Status of Favorable Determination Letter Covering the Plan. The Company hereby undertakes to submit the Employees Stock Savings Plan (the "Plan") and any future amendment or amendments thereto to the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") and will make all changes required by the IRS in order to receive a favorable determination letter from the IRS concerning the Plan's qualification under Section 401(a) and related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. 23.1 Consent of Independent Auditors. 23.2 Consent of Independent Auditors. 24.1 Power of Attorney of Directors. 24.2 Power of Attorney of Plan Administration Committee. ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: (i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to PAGE 7 the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. PAGE 8 Signatures THE REGISTRANT Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco, State of California on the 22nd day of September, 1994. TRANSAMERICA CORPORATION (Registrant) /s/ Burton E. Broome Burton E. Broome Vice President and Controller Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated. Signature Title Date Principal Executive Officer: /s/ Frank C. Herringer Frank C. Herringer President and Chief September 22, 1994 Executive Officer Principal Financial Officer: /s/ Edgar H. Grubb Edgar H. Grubb Executive Vice President September 22, 1994 and Chief Financial Officer Principal Accounting Officer: /s/ Burton E. Broome Burton E. Broome Vice President and September 22, 1994 Controller PAGE 9 Directors: */s/ Myron Du Bain Myron Du Bain Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Sam Ginn Sam Ginn Director September 22, 1994 */s/ James R. Harvey James R. Harvey Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Frank C. Herringer Frank C. Herringer Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Gordon E. Moore Gordon E. Moore Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Raymond F. O'Brien Raymond F. O'Brien Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Charles R. Schwab Charles R. Schwab Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Forrest N. Shumway Forrest N. Shumway Director September 22, 1994 */s/ Peter V. Ueberroth Peter V. Ueberroth Director September 22, 1994 *By: /s/ Burton E. Broome Burton E. Broome Attorney-in-Fact A majority of the members of the Board of Directors. PAGE 10 THE PLAN Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Plan has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco, State of California, on the 22nd day of September, 1994. Signature Title Date */s/ Burton E. Broome Administration September 22, 1994 Burton E. Broome Committee Member */s/ Diane O. Berry Administration September 22, 1994 Diane O. Berry Committee Member */s/ Margaret Gage Administration September 22, 1994 Margaret Gage Committee Member */s/ Richard H. Finn Administration September 22, 1994 Richard H. Finn Committee Member */s/ Edgar H. Grubb Administration September 22, 1994 Edgar H. Grubb Committee Member */s/ Rona I. King Administration September 22, 1994 Rona I. King Committee Member */s/ Ruth Ellen Saarinen Administration September 22, 1994 Ruth Ellen Saarinen Committee Member *By: /s/ Burton E. Broome Burton E. Broome Attorney-in-Fact A majority of the members of the Administration Committee. PAGE 11 EXHIBIT INDEX 4.1 Transamerica Corporation Employees Stock Savings Plan, January 1, 1993 Amendment and Restatement, as amended by Amendment No. 1. 5.1 Undertaking re Status of Favorable Determination Letter Covering the Plan (see Item 8 of this Registration Statement). 23.1 Consent of Independent Auditors. 23.2 Consent of Independent Auditors. 24.1 Power of Attorney of Directors. 24.2 Power of Attorney of Plan Administration Committee.