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Paris, 6 December2007

PRESS RELEASE

GFI Informatique and Apax: clear agreements
ahead of the general meeting of 14 December 2007

 

 

Creation of a core shareholder base: Itefin Participations owns 27.8% of the GFI Informatique share capital

As recently announced, four managers* of GFI Informatique and Itefin Participations, have agreed to combine their respective stakes within Itefin Participations, which is controlled by Apax Partners. Itefin Participations now owns 27.8% of the GFI Informatique share capital.

This transaction, associated with a shareholder agreement, will allow GFI Informatique to stabilise its shareholder base and pursue its development as an independent group that is publicly traded, since Itefin Participations has committed not to exceed the threshold of a third of the share capital of GFI Informatique.

Through this commitment, Apax Partners is demonstrating its full support for GFI Informatique's 2010 business plan calling for sales of one billion euros, organic growth in line with the market, a more intense acquisition policy  and high profitability.

 

Highly motivated management

Through this partnership agreement with Apax Partners, the management of GFI Informatique is demonstrating its motivation and is making commitments for the future and significant efforts to assure that the 2010 targets are met.

 

Stronger governance

The general meeting of 14 December 2007 will vote on three nominations to the GFI Informatique board of directors:

• Itefin Participations, represented by Gilles Rigal
• Patrick de Giovanni, Partner of Apax Partners
• Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, professor of the Paris-Dauphine University and member of the Conseil d’Analyse Economique

The general meeting will also be asked to vote on the amendment of the group's articles of incorporation to set the age limit for the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Deputy CEO at 70. This would be in keeping with the decision by the annual general meeting of June 2007 to reappoint Jacques Tordjman.

 * Jacques Tordjman, Michel Beilin, Vincent Rouaix and Pierre Chiarelli

For further information, please contact

Investor Relations: Bertrand Maes - Email: bmaes@gfi.fr - Tel. +33 (0)1 53 93 44 25
Press relations: Martine Canaque - Email: mcanaque@gfi.fr - Tel. +33 (0)1 53 93 43 80

About GFI Informatique

GFI Informatique is a major player in the IT services sector, providing four strategic offerings: consulting, systems integration, infrastructures and production, and solutions. The group covers all stages of the information system life cycle and caters mainly for large corporates, public bodies and local authorities. GFI Informatique has 16 skills centres and 5 service centres. In 2006, the group recorded revenues of €633.1 million and employed a workforce of more than 8,000. GFI Informatique has over 40 branches in France and 9 international agencies in Southern and Northern Europe, Morocco and Canada.