Yves Guillemot can blow. When he closes the general assembly meeting of the shareholders of Ubisoft a little after 16: 30 on Thursday, the boss of the video game publisher is relieved. Nothing unforeseen has come to disturb its progress, and Vivendi has not moved an ear. The group led by Vincent Bolloré, represented by François Bisiaux, its director of corporate and securities law, has not submitted, nor resolution to obtain one or more seats on the board of directors, nor even sketched out the slightest gesture during the session of questions and answers. And in the end, the majority of resolutions keys have been adopted. It is a victory for the clan Guillemot.
” We are very happy with the result. Our shareholders have clearly supported. The company will continue to be able to grow while keeping its agility and independence “, commented Yves Guillemot, at the output of the AG. The series is not yet finished. Vivendi remains the main shareholder of Ubisoft with 22 % of the capital, and its shadow will continue to hover in the next few months on the publisher and its management. “We are lucid. We know well that all does not end today, explains Alain Martinez, chief financial officer of the publisher. in But one has won a battle, and we will do everything to win the following “.
All is not rosy for Ubisoft. If Yves Guillemot saw his mandate as director is renewed on Thursday – a result which is accompanied by cheers and applause in the room, and if two new members as independent have been appointed, as envisioned by the management, the resolutions to allocate free shares to employees have been retoquées, with the indirect support of Vivendi, who abstained for every vote. “It is unfortunate. The share plans are a means in the video game to attract the best talent and to be able to reward as it should be. All the big publishers do. This shows that Vivendi is not aware of the sector “, says Yves Guillemot. The CEO indicates, however, that the group will draw its own shares, to bring on new talent.
A true plebiscite
The AG has been the occasion for the direction Ubisoft receive a genuine plebiscite on the part of employees and many shareholders. While the meeting usually attracts ever more than 80 people, they were more than 400 to attend this Thursday, a good part of the employees. At the entrance of the auditorium of a hotel booked for the occasion, bracelets, badges and t-shirts to support the management were distributed by certain employee shareholders. “ I l there has been a craze to the part of the employees. I am very proud of it, and also very moved “, says Yves Guillemot.
The support of the shareholders present was manifested during the whole of the AG. Each statement of the management on the importance of being independent, repeated like a mantra, was accompanied by applause and cheers of the room. In the Face of the assembly, the CEO of Ubisoft has recalled its doctrine in terms of governance. “there is no problem to have a shareholder Vivendi in the capital. But the board, [board, ED], this is not an option. Because we are competitors on many aspects. “” In the gaming industry, all the big are independent “, he recalled.
The party is far from over. Vivendi has certainly not moved this time, but it remains in a favorable position. In a statement released Thursday evening, he said that his actions, listed in the nominative ” in the perspective of a long-term partnership “, will benefit from a double voting right from 2017.
R. G. with N. Ri., Les Echos
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