INFOGRAMES ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MICHEL COMBES AS CHAIRMAN DOMNIQUE D'HINNIN AS VICE-CHAIRMAN
Lyon - France, January 31 2008 - Infogrames Entertainment announces today that during its meeting on 30 January 2008, the Board appointed Michel Combes as Chairman of the Group and Dominique D'Hinnin as Vice-Chairman of the Group.
The Infogrames Board is now comprised of:
Mr. Michel Combes, Chairman
Mr. Dominique D'Hinnin, Vice-Chairman
Mr. David Gardner, CEO
Mr. Didier Lamouche, Independent Director
Mrs. Gina Germano, Director
BlueBay, represented by Mr. Jeffrey Lapin
BlueBay, represented by Mr. Eli Muraidekh
Mr. Evence-Charles Coppée, Director
Mr. Benoit Regnault de Maulmin, Advisor
Reinforcement of the Corporate Governance Structure
The Board stated, "In conjunction with the appointment of David Gardner as CEO of Infogrames, we are pleased to have Michel Combes and Dominique D'Hinnin taking the role of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board, respectively. Drawing upon their outstanding experience and professional success, the Board now has a solid corporate governance structure, with a world-class management team, to support and implement the strategy of the Group."
Michel Combes commented on his appointment, "I am pleased to take the Chairmanship of Infogrames. It is a company about which I have learned a great deal through my role as an independent director, and I can say today Infogrames has all the assets required to restore its ranking amongst the world's leading video game companies. I look forward to working with David Gardner and the other board members in my new role."
Career Histories
Michel Combes has been an Independent Director of Infogrames since October 2007. He has served since May 2006 as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Télé Diffusion de France, a leading European television broadcasting company. Mr. Combes began his career in 1986 at France Télécom, first with the External Networks Division, then with the Industrial and International Affairs Division. In 1991, he was appointed technical advisor to the Minister in charge of Post, Telecommunications and Space, and later to the Development, Transportation and Tourism Minister. He joined Télé Diffusion de France as Executive Vice President in June 1995. From June 1996 to the end of 1999, he also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GlobeCast. He later moved to Nouvelles Frontières as Executive Vice President, where he stayed until the end of 2001, when he was appointed CEO of Assystem, an industrial engineering company. In January 2003, Mr. Combes returned to France Télécom, first as executive director in charge of group finance, then, from January 2006, as Executive Director in charge of NExT financial balance and value creation. Mr. Combes also serves as Supervisory Board Chairman of Assystem and is a member of various Supervisory Boards and Boards of Directors. Michel Combes, 45, is a graduate of École Polytechnique and of École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications.
Dominique D'Hinnin is an Independent Director of Infogrames since November 2005. Born in 1959, Dominique D'Hinnin has been the Lagardère Group's Chief Financial Officer since 1998. A graduate of France's prestigious Ecole Normale and a former Treasury official, he joined Lagardère in 1990 as an assistant to Philippe Camus. He later served as Chief Internal Auditor for the Lagardère Group, then as Chief Financial Officer of Hachette Livre. In 1994, he was appointed Executive Vice-President of the Group's Grolier Inc. subsidiary.
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About Infogrames Entertainment and Atari
Infogrames Entertainment (IESA), the parent company of the Atari Group, is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (ISIN code: FR-0000052573) and has two principal subsidiaries: Atari Europe, a privately-held company, and Atari, Inc., a United States corporation listed on NASDAQ (ATAR).
The Atari Group is a producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and in all existing game formats (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) and on CD-ROM for PC. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries.
The Atari Group's extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Alone in the Dark, V-Rally, Test Drive, etc.) and international licenses (Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, etc.).
For more information: http://www.atari.com
Media Contacts:
Cécile SORNAY - Corporate and Financial Communication Director
Tel : + 33 (4) 37 64 30 00 - Fax : + 33 (4) 37 64 30 35 cecile.sornay@atari.com
Aymeric GRANET - Tilder
Tel + 33 (1) 44 14 99 99 - Fax + 33 (1) 44 14 99 77 a.granet@tilder.com