ADECCO MAKES A RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER TO ACQUIRE JOBPILOT, A LEADING EUROPEAN ONLINE RECRUITMENT COMPANY
Adecco makes a recommended cash offer to acquire jobpilot, a leading European online recruitment company
CHESEREX, SWITZERLAND/ BAD HOMBURG, GERMANY February 6, 2002 Adecco SA (Swiss Stock Exchange - ADEN/ trading on Virt-x: 1213860), the world's leading provider of personnel services, today announced that it is making a recommended cash offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding share capital of jobpilot AG (Frankfurt Neuer Markt - JOA). The acquisition of jobpilot will create a leading European online staffing, recruiting and service company by combining jobpilot's internet platform with the branch network of Adecco.
Adecco has agreed to make a tender offer subject to key figures in the jobpilot audited financials for 2001 not deviating from the preliminary results by more than a defined margin. The agreed offer price will be EUR 5.30 per jobpilot share, payable on closing of the acquisition, which values jobpilot at approximately Euro70 million on an equity basis. jobpilot's Board of Management and the Supervisory Board have unanimously approved the offer and are recommending to jobpilot's shareholders that they should accept the offer. jobpilot's three largest shareholders, Dr. Roland Metzger (the company's founder and Chief Executive Officer), United Internet AG and Private Equity Bridge Ltd., have each agreed to sell their shares to Adecco, which in aggregate account for approximately 69% of jobpilot's outstanding share capital. The transaction is expected to close in April 2002. The offer is conditional upon reaching a minimum of 75% acceptances and upon receipt of appropriate regulatory approvals.
Founded in 1995, jobpilot is a leading online recruitment company with online operations in 15 European countries. Bernard Morel, President of the Adecco's Career Services and E-Recruitment Division, states: "Adecco shares jobpilot's commitment to providing clients with a competitive advantage by employing dynamic, cost effective, and results driven recruitment solutions, while maintaining high levels of service". In the year to 31 December 2001, jobpilot reported preliminary sales of Euro45.2 million, an increase of 35% compared to 2000.
The acquisition brings together Adecco - the global staffing industry leader with close to 6,000 offices in 58 countries placing over 700,000 temporary workers per day and nearly 100,000 people in permanent jobs per year with 250,000 clients - and jobpilot, one of the most comprehensive and innovative full service e-Recruitment providers on the web. "This is a perfect strategic fit for us", comments Bernard Morel.
"The Adecco Group has a long standing commitment to innovation in e-Recruitment, witnessed by our significant investment in technology initiatives in the last three years and the refocusing of our group structure last year to reflect the strategic importance of this business line. Our strategy combines integrating the web into existing businesses and developing successful new web based businesses - making our vision of 'business on a browser' closer to realisation. jobpilot represents an excellent nucleus for our e-Recruitment business, which we see as a strategic priority for Adecco." The combination of Adecco and jobpilot is expected to generate significant synergies in terms of incremental revenues through cross-selling and potential cost savings through combined infrastructure investments and shared international location.
Dr. Roland Metzger will continue to play an active role in the combined company and will remain CEO of jobpilot. "We are delighted to welcome Roland Metzger and the jobpilot team to the Adecco family", continues Bernard Morel. "Roland is an inspirational pioneer in this area and his unrivalled expertise will be invaluable in maintaining our leading edge in this exciting sector".
Dr. Roland Metzger, CEO and founder of jobpilot: "Having built jobpilot into one of the leading European online recruiting companies we are delighted about the additional potential that an integration of the jobpilot business into the Adecco Group provides. We are looking forward to being an important cornerstone of Adecco's recruitment business and we are convinced that the combination of jobpilot's online leadership and Adecco's unmatched offline capabilities will create the undisputed leader of online recruitment in Europe."
Credit Suisse First Boston acted as financial advisor to Adecco. J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisor to jobpilot.
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About Adecco
Adecco SA is a Forbes 500 company and the global leader in HR Solutions. The Adecco network connects up to 700,000 associates with business clients each day through its network of over 30,000 employees and close to 6,000 offices in 58 countries around the world. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, Adecco delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.
The Group comprises of three Divisions, Adecco Staffing, Ajilon Staffing & Managed Services; and Career Services/e-Business: In Adecco Staffing, the Adecco staffing network focuses on flexible staffing solutions for global industries in transition, including automotive, banking, electronics, logistics and telecommunications; Ajilon Staffing and Managed Services offers an unrivalled range of specialised branded businesses; Career Services/e-Business encompasses our portfolio of e-recruiting, executive search and outplacement businesses.
Adecco is registered in Switzerland and is listed on the Swiss Exchange (ADEN / trading on Virt-x: 1213860), NYSE (ADO), Euronext Premier Marché (12819). You can find out more about Adecco from our website: www.Adecco.com.
About jobpilot
jobpilot AG offers with jobpilot (www.Jobpilot.com) Europe's career market on the Internet. The company launched its innovative career portal in October 1995. Sites are now online in 15 European countries. Regular customers include all 30 companies listed in Germany's DAX share index as well as 21 companies in the EuroSTOXXsm 50 share index.
jobpilot's range of services includes several innovative products in addition to publishing job vacancies and requests (jobpilot workflow, Direct-Selection, Online-Assessment, etc.). jobpilot's services are free of charge for job seekers.
jobpilot is based in Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt, Germany. European subsidiaries are located in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
jobpilot is registered in Germany and is listed on the Neuer Markt of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Neuer Markt: WKN 514170, Symbol: JOA) You can find out more about jobpilot from our website: www.jobpilot.com.
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JOBPILOT
For further information, please contact:
Chris King, Adecco Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 1 878 8838; Mobile: +41 79 617 6606; Email: Chris.King@Adecco.com
John Bee, Adecco Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 1 878 8837; Mobile: +41 79 615 1750; Email: John.Bee@Adecco.com
Stephan Lindenfeld, jobpilot Public and Investor Relations
Tel: +49 6172 919 297 Mobile: +49 171 858 4892 Email:lindenfeld@jobpilot.com