Through his holding company ‘Le Grand Rey’, GL events chairman and CEO Olivier Ginon has purchased Aquarsourça’s 10% shareholding in Polygone, GL events’ holding company.
As a result, Polygone’s shareholder structure is now as follows:
- Mr Olivier Ginon, Le Grand Rey and La Ferme d’Anna (both companies controlled by Olivier Ginon): 61.57%
- Trévise Participations: 20%
- Crédit Agricole's regional private equity funds (SCIRs): 13.1%
- Matmut: 5.33%.
Pursuant to the above, Sophie Defforey and Félix Crepet, representatives of the Aquasourça group, have resigned from their positions as directors of Polygone and GL events.
Olivier Ginon commented: "I wish to express my warmest thanks to Sophie Defforey and the Aquasourça teams for the quality of their relationship, their professionalism and their ongoing support over 22 years which included both periods of strong growth as well as more complicated moments. As this increased stake in Polygone only confirms, I have every confidence that GL events will maintain its historical trajectory of sustainable growth.”
Sophie Defforey, chairwoman of the Aquasourça Group, added: “We were honoured to be able to support GL events’ teams and its CEO, Olivier Ginon, as long-term partners. We have encountered a number of different business and economic cycles over these last 22 years. Throughout this period, the energy of its teams and the vision of its chief executive have transformed the company into a world leader in innovation. We are leaving Polygone with a sense of emotion, pride in our shared achievements and also with great confidence in the future of the group. This is why we are particularly pleased with this development as it will increase the chief executive’s family stake in the holding company and is a testimony to Olivier Ginon's confidence in his company’s future. It is also perfectly in line with the type of contribution we seek to make to the management teams we support.”
GL events Exhibitions manages and coordinates the Group’s portfolio of more than 200 proprietary trade fairs covering a wide range of sectors: food industry, culture, textiles/fashion, manufacturing. GL events Venues manages a network of 57 venues (convention and exhibition centres, concert halls and multi-purpose facilities) in France and international destinations.
