Press Release
Evolution of the Atos Board of Directors and convening of the 2023 Annual General Meeting
Further strengthening the diversity of skills within the Board of Directors to support the Group's strategic plan and separation project
Paris, France - May 17, 2023 - The Atos Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Nomination and Governance Committee chaired by Elizabeth Tinkham, has approved the following changes to its composition, in line with the needs identified and the strategy pursued, in particular in the areas of corporate governance, digital transformation of companies, especially in the financial sector, and digital strategies in the fields of security and defense.
Renewal of the mandate of Caroline Ruellan
The ratification of the cooptation of Caroline Ruellan, independent director of Atos since July 26, 2022, and the renewal of her term of office as director, will be submitted to the vote of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on June 28, 2023.
Appointment of two new independent Directors
During its meeting held on May 16, 2023, the Board of Directors co-opted Jean-Pierre Mustier as a new independent director. Ratification of this cooptation will be submitted to a vote of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting.
The Board of Directors has also decided to submit the appointment of Laurent Collet-Billon as a new independent director to a vote of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting.
Jean-Pierre Mustier is a business leader and investment banker. He will bring to the Board of Directors his managerial experience, his financial expertise as well as his understanding of the digital sector: close to the financial industry, Mr. Mustier has successfully led the transformation of a major European bank, UniCredit, whose information systems are at the core of its operations. In his last position at the Pegasus fund, he gained a global view of the fintech market, and more generally of the current consolidation trends in the asset management, banking and finance sectors, driven by acquisitions of digital technologies and platforms.
Laurent Collet-Billon is a French military servant having reached the highest-ranking military status of an Ingénieur général de l’armement de classe exceptionnelle, and a former Delegate General for Armaments, i.e., former head of the French Defense Ministry's Direction Générale de l'Armement (“DGA”). The Board of Directors will benefit from Laurent Collet-Billon's experience as a former executive, having been the most senior manager of the French Ministry of Defense's DGA, who at the time structured the IT program requirements for the interoperability of the armed forces. In the context of the future French law on military programming, and the strategic plan to separate Eviden from Atos Tech Foundations, Mr. Collet-Billon will bring to the Board of Directors his vision and expertise, particularly in the digital, defense and cybersecurity sectors.
These appointments will succeed two Board members
Lynn Paine, Baker Foundation Professor and John G. McLean Professor of Management and Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard University, who has been an independent director since May 2013 and a member of the Nomination and Governance Committee, has submitted her resignation to the Board of Directors for personal reasons effective May 16, 2023.
Edouard Philippe informed the Board that he would not seek renewal given his multiple commitments, and expressed his support and appreciation of the collective work accomplished during these three years.
Bertrand Meunier, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Atos SE, declared:
"I am delighted to welcome Jean-Pierre Mustier to the Board of Directors and very pleased with the appointment proposed by the Board of Directors of Laurent Collet-Billon, as well as with the upcoming renewal of the mandate of Caroline Ruellan. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to thank Lynn Paine for her commitment to Atos over many years and her important contribution to the work of the Board and Edouard Philippe for his decisive involvement during a crucial period for Atos. These moves reflect the Board's commitment to continue renewing its composition and strengthening its skills."
Convening of the Annual General Meeting
The notice of meeting (avis de réunion) relating to the General Meeting to be held on June 28, 2023, containing the agenda, the draft resolutions as well as the rules for participation and voting, will be published in the Official Legal Gazette (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires, BALO) on May 24, 2023, and will be available on the Company's website (https://atos.net/en/investors/annual-general-meeting).
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About Jean-Pierre Mustier
Jean-Pierre Mustier, a French citizen, has more than 37 years of experience in the banking sector. He has held various positions in Europe, the United States and Asia, including as CEO of the European banking group UniCredit (from 2016 to 2021), which he successfully turned around and transformed, after heading its corporate and investment bank (from 2011-2015). Since 2021, he has been Executive Director and Co-CEO of the European company Pegasus Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), which is due to be liquidated at the end of July 2023. During his career, Mr. Mustier has served on the board of directors of numerous financial institutions, banks, traditional and alternative investment management companies and clearing houses. He was President of the European Banking Federation (2019-2021) and led numerous transactions in the financial sector, including the merger of Pioneer, UniCredit's asset management entity, with Amundi, and the divestitures of Fineco, UniCredit's online bank, and Yapi Kredi. Prior to his appointment as CEO of UniCredit, Mr. Mustier was a partner at Tikehau Capital, where he was involved in the development of the London platform, as well as the alternative investment strategy. Jean-Pierre Mustier began his career at Société Générale as a derivatives trader and then held various positions before becoming Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking.
Jean-Pierre Mustier is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris. He is a Chevalier in the French Ordre national du Mérite (National Order of Merit).
About Laurent Collet -Billon
Laurent Collet-Billon, a French citizen, is a French military servant having reached the highest-ranking military status of an Ingénieur général de l’armement de classe exceptionnelle, and a former Delegate General for Armaments, i.e., former head of the French Defense Ministry's Direction Générale de l'Armement (from 2008 to 2017). In this capacity, he was responsible for the equipment of the French armed forces, defense research and development, international cooperation and defense exports, and defense industrial policy. He began his career at the DGA in 1974 and remained there until 1987, when he became technical advisor to the Minister of Defense. Upon his return to the DGA in 1988, Mr. Collet-Billon led the "Horus" program (airborne nuclear deterrence component), then the surveillance and intelligence satellite programs, before holding positions of responsibility in the fields of space, land systems, electronics and defense information systems. Then, from 1997 to 2001, he headed the DGA's Telecommunications and Information Observation Programs Department (SPOTI), which is responsible for the Ministry of Defense's C4ISR programs, aimed at connecting all digital resources for the interoperability of the armed forces. In May 2001, he became deputy to the Delegate General for Armaments, i.e. number two at the DGA. He was advisor to the Chairman and CEO of Alcatel-Lucent from 2006 to 2008. He was a member of the board of directors of Thales from 2014 to 2017. He is now active in consulting, notably through La Place Stratégique, an incubator dedicated to promising sovereign technology businesses, which he co-founded in 2020.
Laurent Collet-Billon is a graduate engineer from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace. He is a Grand Officier of the French Légion d’honneur and an Officier of the French Ordre national du Mérite (National Order of Merit). He is a former auditor of the Centre des Hautes Etudes de l'Armement (CHEAr).
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About Atos
Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 111,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on Euronext Paris.
The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.
Contacts
For more information, please contact:
Investor Relations: Thomas Guillois - thomas.guillois@atos.net - +33 6 21 34 36 62
Press: Anette Rey - anette.rey@atos.net - +33 6 69 79 84 88 - @AnetteRey
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