EURAZEO_REGISTRATION_DOCUMENT_2017

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PRESENTATION OF THE GROUP

Joint interview

Expectations regarding companies have never been greater. Patrick Sayer

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How will Eurazeo meet today’s societal challenges; namely, greater corporate accountability towards society, the current deliberations in France over a company’s corporate purpose, the accelerated role of Artificial Intelligence? R PS : Expectations for companies have never been greater. The principle of corporate social responsibility has always been central to Eurazeo’s investment process and the business model of its companies. This profound conviction is reflected in the pioneering role Eurazeo has played in this area. It is a battle that has always concerned me. The same is true for Virginie, who co-founded the Women’s Forum 10 years ago. In practical terms, our portfolio companies have been able to gauge how actions that seek to introduce better governance or generate energy savings for example, drive rather than restrict growth. This is what Elis discovered: the reduction in water consumption lowered the use of detergents and pollutants, enabling it to cut its costs.

Talking about 2017 is already bringing up 2018… After 16 years at the helm of Eurazeo, you will hand over the Executive Board Chairmanship to Virginie: how do you feel about this transition? R PS : For me, this is a perfectly natural transition, because I believe that company governance must evolve. The quality of this transition is due in the first place to the relationship of trust I have enjoyed for the past 16 years with Michel David-Weill, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. And the change would obviously not have been possible without the profound mutual respect that exists between Virginie and me, which all began 25 years ago when we met at Lazard. I have transformed our investment company considerably. An entity that was historically linked to a renowned investment bank, Eurazeo is now an independent and global private equity player. 2017 was marked by a strategic acceleration whose direction is clear: enhance its investment model to create value and grow companies in France and abroad. Virginie’s succession is both logical and consistent, since she has been committed to this strategy at my side

Q VM : To create long-term value, the company must meet the new challenges it faces. Specifically, I wish to address digital technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which have already transformed entire segments of our economy. Providing insight to our companies regarding the business impact of digital technology, and even making them aware of the disruptions that could help them accelerate their development, or respond to greater competition has long been a priority for us. We follow our own advice so as to better support our companies: Eurazeo led the way in appointing a Chief Digital Officer. For the past 14 to 15 months, we have also been using AI for our due diligence work, so as to enhance our investment judgment and gain precious time. We have forged partnerships with highly capable companies that can analyze available but often under utilized public data. We used these resources for WorldStrides and Trader Interactive, but also to rule out certain projects. I think that here again we have been pioneers in including these tools in our own decision-making processes.

2017 Registration document

Eurazeo

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