Appointment of Two New Independent Directors Would Reinforce Board’s Expertise in Big Data, Cloud Computing, Change Management, Talent Recruitment and Retention
Paris – July 6, 2017 – In accordance with its stated objective, the Board of Directors of Ubisoft, following a recommendation from the Board’s Nomination and Compensation Committee, intends to expand its membership and is proposing the appointment of Corinne Fernandez-Handelsman and Virginie Haas as independent directors.
Should these appointments be approved, the Board of Directors would be comprised of 11 members, with six independent directors, five of whom are women. Consequently, Ubisoft would reach its stated objective of having a majority of independent members on the Board.
These nominations demonstrate the ongoing commitment of Ubisoft’s Board to reinforce its diversity and complementarity, and to increase its independence and the representation of women. In 2016, two new independent directors, Frédérique Dame and Florence Naviner, were appointed to the Board, and Didier Crespel was named Lead Independent Director and asked to act as the main point of contact for all shareholders concerning matters under the Board of Directors’ responsibility.
The appointments of Fernandez-Handelsman and Haas are subject to the approval of the shareholders during Ubisoft’s annual general shareholder meeting, which convenes on September 22, 2017.
Yves Guillemot, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft, said, “We are delighted to continue the expansion of our Board of Directors with the nominations of Corinne and Virginie as independent directors. If their appointments are approved by our shareholders at the next general meeting, our Board will have an independent majority, and nearly half of the directors will be women. This development reflects our desire to comply with the best corporate governance practices for the benefit of all our shareholders, while also combining the necessary expertise and competencies for Ubisoft’s long-term success. At a time when the Group’s model is transforming, Corinne and Virginie will add valuable and leading-edge expertise to the Board. We will benefit from Corinne’s experience in talent recruitment and management in technology-driven industries, and Virginie brings detailed knowledge of change and hyper-growth management, coupled with expertise in artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing.”
In addition, Pascale Mounier’s mandate, which is due to expire on September 22, will not be renewed.
“I would like to warmly thank Pascale for her commitment and the quality of her contribution to the work of the Board over the last four years, not least for the role that she has played in the Board’s increased knowledge of security issues”, added Guillemot.
Corinne Fernandez-Handelsman is currently a Partner at Progress, specialising in senior executive recruitment. Progress is a member of IIC Partners’ international network, which brings together independent, market-leading recruitment agencies. Fernandez-Handelsman was also Global Technology, Digital Media & Telecommunications Practice Leader for the network.
Fernandez-Handelsman brings 30 years’ experience to Ubisoft, with more than 15 years’ expertise in recruitment and valuable knowledge in sourcing, attracting, and retaining talent in the digital and technology sectors. She began her career at SNCF before joining the management consultancy firm Boston Consulting Group as a strategy consultant in 1986. In 1988, she joined GSI, a digital services company purchased by ATOS in 1997, where she held consecutive positions as: Director of Marketing and Communications, Manager for business units, and Global Account Manager. She joined Progress in 1999.
Since 2016, Fernandez-Handelsman also has been a board director of Coheris, a CRM & Business Analytics solutions provider, listed on Euronext.
Fernandez-Handelsman graduated from HEC Paris. She is a French citizen.
Virginie Haas brings nearly 30 years’ experience in new technologies and IT services to Ubisoft. Haas spent the majority of her career at IBM, where she held various management positions. In 2006, she joined the Steering Committee of IBM France as Director of Operations, before becoming Vice President, Global Technology Services Sales of IBM France. In 2010, she began her international career, becoming IBM’s Vice President of Worldwide Cloud Services Sales, helping the company to become one of the market leaders for the sector.
In 2016, Haas changed course and joined Shift Technology as Chief Revenue Officer. A startup founded in 2014, Shift Technology develops SaaS solutions for insurance fraud detection, utilizing artificial intelligence and Big Data. Haas is responsible for developing and overseeing the rapid growth and international expansion of the company. With a strong and detailed understanding of change and hyper-growth management, Haas will bring her knowledge of the global cloud computing market, as well as new technologies and digital transformation vectors, to Ubisoft.
Haas graduated from the ESCEM Business School. She is a French citizen.
Contact
| Financial Communication Jean-Benoît Roquette Director of Financial Communication + 33 1 48 18 52 39 Jean-benoit.roquette@ubisoft.com | Press Relations Michael Burk Senior Director of Corporate Public Relations + 33 1 48 18 24 03 michael.burk@ubisoft.com |
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Watch_Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2016-17 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,460 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com