November 05, 2008 13:36 ET
PERNOD RICARD : Combined General Meeting of 5 November 2008
PARIS--(Marketwire - November 5, 2008) - Combined General Meeting of 5 November 2008
- Cash dividend: EUR 1.32 per share (+4.7%)
- Renewal of terms of office as Directors of Patrick Ricard,
Pierre Pringuet and Rafaël Gonzalez-Gallarza
- Appointment of Wolfang Colberg and César Giron as new Directors
Decisions of the Board of Directors' meeting held at the end of
the General Meeting
- Separation of the duties of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Appointment of Patrick Ricard as Chairman of the Board of
Directors
- Appointment of Pierre Pringuet as Chief Executive Officer
Combined General Meeting of 5 November 2008
+4.7% increase in cash dividend
Pernod Ricard's shareholders approved the 2007/08 consolidated and
parent company financial statements at 30 June 2008 and decided to
approve the payment of a dividend distribution of EUR 1.32 per
share, an increase of 4.7% compared to the previous financial
year. An interim dividend of EUR 0.63 was paid on 3 July last and
the balance of EUR 0.69 will be released on 13 November (the date
of record) and payable with effect from 18 November 2008.
Two new Directors
The General Meeting decided to renew the terms of office as
Directors of Patrick Ricard, Pierre Pringuet and Rafaël Gonzalez-
Gallarza and to appoint two new Directors, Wolfgang Colberg
(independent director) and César Giron.
Decisions of the Board of Directors' meeting held at the end of
the General Meeting
New Group Governance
At the meeting that followed today's Combined General Meeting, the
Board of Directors decided to proceed with the separation of the
duties of the Chairman of the Board of Directors from those of the
Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to the Company's bylaws.
- As announced at the General Meeting of 7 November 2007, Patrick
Ricard has resigned his executive duties at the head of Pernod
Ricard but remains Chairman of the Board of Directors. In this
capacity, he will continue to be involved in the Group's strategic
decisions and in monitoring their implementation.
- Pierre Pringuet, Managing Director, has been appointed Chief
Executive Officer. He will be supported by a collegial team
comprising four Deputy Managing Directors: Emmanuel Babeau, in
charge of Finance, Thierry Billot, in charge of Brands, Michel
Bord, in charge of the Distribution Network and Bruno Rain, in
charge of Human Rresources (Press release - 26 June 08).
Biography of Wolfgang Colberg
49 years old, German citizen. Wolfgang Colberg holds a PhD in
Political Science, in addition to qualifications in Business
Administration and Business Informatics. He has spent his entire
career in the Robert Bosch Group and BSH. After joining the Robert
Bosch Group in 1988, he held a post in Corporate Strategy,
Controlling and M&A (Head Office), and then went on to become Head
of Business Administration at the Goettingen production site (1990-
1993), Section Head in Economic Planning and Controlling (Head
Office) (1993-1994), before being appointed the Group's General
Manager for Turkey and Central Asia. In 1996, he was appointed
Senior Vice President - Central Purchasing and Logistics (Head
Office). Since 2001, Wolfgang Colberg has been Chief Financial
Officer at BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH and a member of
the Board of Management.
Other offices held: Roto Frank AG, Stuttgart, Member of the
Supervisory Board; Deutsche Bank AG, Member of the Regional Board.
Biography of César Giron
46 years old, French citizen. A graduate of the Lyon École
Supérieure de Commerce, César Giron joined the Pernod Ricard group
in 1987 where he has spent his entire career. In 2000, he was
appointed CEO of Pernod Ricard Suisse and, since December 2003,
César Giron has been Chairman & CEO of Wyborowa SA in Poland. He
is the son of Danièle Ricard, also a Director of Pernod Ricard,
and he is a member of the Management Board of Paul Ricard SA.
About Pernod Ricard
Created by the merger of Pernod and Ricard (1975), the Group has
undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and
acquisitions. The purchase of part of Seagram (2001), the
acquisitions of Allied Domecq (2005) and recently of Vin & Sprit
(2008) have made Pernod Ricard the world's co-leader in wines and
spirits with consolidated sales of EUR 6,589 million in 2007/08.
Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios
in the sector: ABSOLUT Premium Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's,
Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson's Irish
Whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa
and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well
Jacob's Creek and Montana wines.
The Group favours a decentralised organisation, with 7 Brand
Owners and 70 Distribution Companies established in each key
market, and employs a workforce of more than 19,300 people.
Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development
policy and encourages responsible consumption.
Pernod Ricard is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI;
ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is a member of the CAC 40 index.
Broadcast live on the internet, the Annual General Meeting is also
accessible, in French and English on: www.pernod-ricard.com.
Shareholders' agenda: 2008/09 First Half Year Sales - Friday 13
February 2009| Contacts Pernod Ricard
Francisco de la VEGA / Communication VP Tel: +33 (0)1 41 00 40 96
Denis FIEVET / Financial Communication - Investor Relations VP
Tel: +33 (0)1 41 00 41 71
Florence TARON / Press Relations Manager Tel: +33 (0)1 41 00 40 88
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