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EQT Infrastructure II to acquire CHEP Aerospace Solutions from Brambles

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EQT Infrastructure II to acquire the global leader in pooling, management, maintenance and repair of unit load devices for the aviation industry

Existing leadership team to remain in place and CHEP Aerospace Solutions to be rebranded to have its own unique identity

EQT Infrastructure committed to actively support the development of CHEP Aerospace Solutions through an industrial board of directors including senior leaders with aviation expertise

EQT Infrastructure II (“EQT Infrastructure” or “EQT”) has announced today to acquire CHEP Aerospace Solutions (the “Company”) from Brambles, a global supply-chain logistics provider. CHEP Aerospace Solutions is the global leader in pooling, management, maintenance and repair of unit load devices (ULDs) for the aviation industry. ULDs are containers and pallets used for transportation of cargo and baggage on aircraft and constitute a mission critical part of the aviation infrastructure.

CHEP Aerospace Solutions was established by Brambles in 2011 following the acquisition and integration of four leading ULD solutions companies. Through subsequent acquisitions and Brambles’ pooling expertise, the Company has become the global leader in pooling, management, maintenance and repair of ULDs for the aviation industry. Today, the Company generates around USD 80 million in revenues, owns and manages approximately 100,000 ULDs, and serves more than 90 airlines across an unparalleled network of 48 global services centers and 420 airports, supported by over 550 expert team members. EQT will support the continued development of CHEP Aerospace Solutions and will actively assist the company in capturing new growth opportunities.

The existing CHEP Aerospace leadership team will remain in place and will continue to focus on providing its world class customer service and delivering the very best solutions that create sustainable value for its clients. The Company is headquartered in Switzerland, along with regional operations centers in the United Kingdom, Thailand and the USA, in addition to global services centers in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. As part of the transaction, CHEP Aerospace Solutions will eventually be rebranded to have its own unique identity.

CHEP Aerospace Solutions President, Dr. Ludwig Bertsch, said: “We would like to place on record our thanks to the Brambles team whose support and expertise has enabled us to develop the world’s leading ULD management network. We are excited to join EQT Infrastructure, one of the world’s most respected infrastructure funds, which combines the very best people with the industry expertise in infrastructure management that will allow us to continue to grow and provide smarter solutions and unparalleled customer service to the aviation industry.”

Ulrich Köllensperger, Director at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, said: “CHEP Aerospace Solutions provides critical infrastructure and services to the aviation industry and fits well with the EQT Infrastructure strategy of investing in medium sized operating infrastructure companies with opportunities for additional growth and development. The Company has a proven business model, an impressive customer base and a promising pipeline of prospective airline clients. The industrial board of directors including senior leaders with aviation expertise will support CHEP Aerospace Solutions in growing its asset base and offer pooling, management, maintenance and repair to more airlines globally.”

Tom Gorman, CEO of Brambles, said: “The launch of CHEP Aerospace Solutions in 2011 was part of Brambles’ strategy of leveraging its asset management and supply chain expertise to deliver value to customers across new industry verticals. Over the past five years, we have built a highly successful global business that now partners many of the world’s leading airlines. We are confident that the future growth of the Aerospace business will be well served under the ownership of EQT Infrastructure which has a dedicated focus on infrastructure and related services, with a proven track record of success. On behalf of everyone at Brambles, I would like to thank the CHEP Aerospace Solutions team for their commitment to becoming the industry-leaders they are today and we wish them every success for the future.”

The transaction is expected to close during November 2016.

Contacts:

Ulrich Köllensperger, Director at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, +41 44 266 6800

Kerstin Danasten, EQT Press Contact, +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT

EQT is a leading global private equity group with approximately EUR 30 billion in raised capital. EQT Funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 15 billion and approximately 100,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

For further information, please visit: www.eqtpartners.com

About CHEP Aerospace Solutions

CHEP Aerospace Solutions owns and manages the world’s largest independent fleet of approximately 100,000 unit load devices (ULDs), for use in the aviation industry, and owns the largest global network for the maintenance and repair of ULDs and galley carts. The company focuses on the outsourced management and associated services for aviation containers, pallets and inflight food service equipment, and serves over 90 airlines through a network of more than 420 airports, 14 regional offices and 48 certified repair stations, supported by more than 550 colleagues.

For further information, please visit www.chep.com/aerospace

About Brambles

Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB) is a supply-chain logistics company operating primarily through the CHEP and IFCO brands. Brambles enhances performance for customers by helping them transport goods through their supply chains more efficiently, sustainably and safely. The Group’s primary activity is the provision of reusable unit-load equipment such as pallets, crates and containers for shared use by multiple participants throughout the supply chain, under a model known as “pooling”. Brambles primarily serves the fast-moving consumer goods (e.g. dry food, grocery, and health and personal care), fresh produce, beverage, retail and general manufacturing industries, counting many of the world’s best-known brands among its customers. The Group also operates specialist container logistics businesses serving the automotive, aerospace and oil and gas sectors. Brambles has its headquarters in Sydney, Australia, but operates in more than 60 countries, with its largest operations in North America and Western Europe. Brambles employs more than 14,500 people and owns more than 550 million pallets, crates and containers through a network of more than 850 service centres.

For further information, please visit www.brambles.com

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Ardian to acquire SLV from Cinven

Ardian

Frankfurt / Übach-Palenberg, October 28, 2016.
Ardian, the independent private investmentcompany, today announces that it has signed an agreement with Cinven to acquire SLV, a provider of lighting fixtures for the residential and commercial space.
The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.The completion of the transaction is
subject to the approval of the responsible antitrust authorities.

Founded more than 35 years ago and headquartered in Übach-Palenberg Germany, SLV has
experienced significant growth over the past decades and became a leading provider of lighting fixtures
in its core markets. With its assets-light business model, SLV offers its customers a diversified and innovation-
driven product offering from functional towards decorative lighting fixtures for indoor and outdoor use with
immediate availability of its products. Cinven acquired SLV in May 2011 from its founder and HgCapital
and strengthened SLV’s management team with the appointment of a new CEO, Robert Fellner-Feldegg, in
February 2014 and the appointment of Jens Aertgeerts as new CSO. With the support of Ardian as an
international and financially strong partner, SLV intends to continuously innovate its diversified productportfolio, strengthen its market leading position in Germany, further develop its international footprint and
exploit the opportunities of digitalization and online sales channels. The company’s growth is aimed to be
realized both organically as well as through selected acquisition opportunities in its fragmented market.

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Data Respons subsidiary Sylog acquires Atero AB

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Atero AB has 15 employees and are specialists within software development, system design and communication for embedded solutions and IoT.

The deal will further strengthen Sylogs strong position in Sweden within the R&D services segment. Data Respons has had 30% growth in revenue in Sweden year to date and the deal will further strenghten the position.

“We are very happy to announce that Data Respons has made another successful deal. It clearly proves that Data Respons is  able to deliver high organic growth as well as  acquiring new exciting businesses within the fast growing IoT space.  Additionally, the terms of the deals prove that the sellers believe in the synergies of joining Data Respons”, says Narve Reiten, deal partner at Reiten & Co.

The deal done on a 100% equity basis and Atero AB expect to deliver MSEK 20 in revenues with a 15% EBIT margin in 2016. The deal structure is part cash consideration and part earn out dependent on EBIT over the next 3 years.

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Börje Ekholm appointed new CEO of Ericsson, steps down as CEO of Patricia Industries

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2016-10-26 08:39 GMT+02

As announced today, Ericsson’s Board of Directors has appointed Börje Ekholm as new CEO, effective January 16, 2017. As a main owner of Ericsson, Investor fully supports this appointment.

In order to further align the CEO’s interests with the shareholders, Investor and Industrivärden will enter into an options agreement with Börje Ekholm. The options agreement will be entered into on market terms and means that Investor and Industrivärden together will issue 2,000,000 call options in the Ericsson Class B share (1,000,000 respectively). Each option entitles the purchase of one Ericsson B share at a strike price of SEK 80 per share during one year after a seven-year period. The valuation has been conducted, using the Black & Scholes model, by an independent third party.

As a consequence of this appointment, Börje Ekholm will leave his position as CEO of Patricia Industries. Investor’s strategy remains unchanged. Patricia Industries will continue to develop its existing companies and invest in new subsidiaries in the Nordics and in North America. Its operations will be managed jointly by Christian Cederholm and Noah Walley, Head of Patricia Industries Nordics and North America respectively. “First of all, as the Chairman of the Board of Investor, I would like to thank Börje for his great contributions to Investor during almost 25 years, of which ten as President and CEO, and also as the CEO of Patricia Industries. He has played an instrumental role in making Investor what it is today, not the least when it comes to successfully building our portfolio of subsidiaries. Secondly, representing one of the company’s main owners, I am very pleased to have a new CEO in place at Ericsson, an important company in our portfolio”, comments Jacob Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board of Investor.

“Having worked closely with Börje Ekholm for many years, I know that he will make a strong contribution in his new role as CEO of Ericsson. During the past year, he has established the foundation for Patricia Industries, which we will continue to build upon going forward. In Christian Cederholm and Noah Walley, we have two highly competent co-heads who will continue to develop Patricia Industries. Our strategy remains firm. We will continue to focus on developing our existing companies, invest selectively within Listed Core Investments, commit capital to EQT funds and grow Patricia Industries, with the ultimate target to generate a long-term attractive total shareholder return”, states Johan Forssell, President and CEO of Investor.

“Having spent almost 25 years in different roles within Investor, I have truly enjoyed working with creating long-term value in our companies. However, as an engineer by training, turning down the offer getting to lead Ericsson, one of Sweden’s greatest companies, is impossible. It is with great pride, humility and enthusiasm that I look forward to taking on this new task”, comments Börje Ekholm.

Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, makes control investments in best-in-class companies with strong market positions, brands and corporate cultures within industries positioned for secular growth. Our ambition is to be the sole owner of our companies, together with strong management teams and boards. We invest with an indefinite holding period, and focus on building durable value and capturing organic and non-organic growth opportunities.

This information is information that Investor AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08:40 CET on October 26, 2016.

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Ratos AB: Ratos divests Euromaint

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Ratos has signed an agreement to divest 100% of the shares in its subsidiary Euromaint, Sweden’s leading independent maintenance company for the rail transport industry, to SSVP, a mid-market private equity fund advised by Orlando Management. Enterprise Value amounts to SEK 650m. The divestment is not estimated to generate any exit results for Ratos.

Ratos acquired Euromaint in 2007 in conjunction with the ongoing deregulation of the train operator market. Throughout its history, the company has focused on delivery of high-quality rail maintenance services, thereby strengthening its market position as a leading maintenance provider for Sweden’s premium fleets, including Arlanda Express, X2000 and Stockholm commuter trains. The company has about 1,050 employees, with annual sales of approximately SEK 1,600m. The Euromaint German operations were divested in 2015 in order to streamline operations.

“Euromaint’s ability to deliver high quality services has strengthened the company’s position in the market for train maintenance. Ratos has owned Euromaint since 2007, and we believe that now is a good time for a new owner to take over,” says Lars Johansson, acting CEO of Ratos.

An agreement has been signed for the sale of 100% of the shares. The divestment is not estimated to generate any exit results for Ratos, taking into consideration the earlier announced impairment of book value that will be set in the third quarter accounts. The investment has generated a negative annual average return (IRR). The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2016.

For further information, please contact:

Elin Ljung, Head of Corporate Communications, Ratos, +46 8 700 17 20, elin.ljung@ratos.se

Lars Johansson, Acting CEO Ratos, +46 8 700 17 00, lars.johansson@ratos.se

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Gimv invests in next phase of growth of MEGA International, a leading provider of Business and IT Transformation Software

GIMV

25-10-2016 07:30

Gimv acquires a 40% stake in MEGA International, a leading global software and consulting services company, which helps companies improve their business and IT agility to innovate in the digital world. MEGA’s offering has been recognized for years by customers and prominent analysts in enterprise architecture (EA), IT portfolio management (ITPM), business process analysis (BPA), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) markets. The other shareholders are Lucio de Risi (Founder/CEO) and the management-team of MEGA International. Over the coming years, the emphasis will be placed on the acceleration of the growth in the US, the ongoing SaaS[1]-transformation, and in extending the audience of its product offering.

MEGA International (www.mega.com) is a global software firm helping companies manage enterprise complexity by giving them an interactive view of their operations. In today’s fast-paced, and disruptive business environment, organizations must be forward-looking and agile to adapt to rapidly-changing markets, technologies, and regulatory requirements. MEGA International’s integrated set of software solutions, called HOPEX, and its consulting services, enables IT departments and/or executives gain the visibility and information they need to make the right choices for effective governance and for striking the right balance between capacity for innovation, cost optimization, and risk management when it comes to their IT strategies and digital transformation programs. MEGA has a global footprint with 8 offices around the globe (Paris – HQ, London, Berlin, Milan, Boston, Mexico, Casablanca, and Singapore). Moreover, it works with 25 business partners around the world. The company’s customers are mostly big, complex – often global – companies and government organizations, e.g. Fannie Mae, Crédit Agricole, UniCredit, Nissan, Eurocontrol, United States Department of Agriculture, SBB CFF, P&G, Gilead or Colruyt. Last year, MEGA International realized a turnover of EUR 43 million with almost 300 employees.

Gimv’s investment provides partial liquidity to the initial shareholders while preparing the company for the next phase in its development. It is the ambition in the coming 3 years’ time (i) to foster the growth among its existing clients and by signing up new customers, (ii) to establish an excellent track record in its already initiated transition to a SaaS offering, and (iii) to apply its software tools to even more applications towards a broader audience.

Gimv Smart Industries platform has a focus on innovative companies with strong technology expertise and headquarters in France, Benelux and DACH regions. During the last years, the team has built a successful track record within the sector of ICT companies, engineered products and advanced manufacturing.

Tom Van de Voorde, Partner in Gimv’s Smart Industries platform: “Globalisation, digitalisation, consolidation and regulation are driving the need for large corporations to have a clear view on and the ability to manage their IT systems. MEGA’s leadership team together with its employees have the vision and the long experience in creating value for their customers by serving their needs and increasing their competitive positioning. We are truly delighted to join this partnership.”

Lucio de Risi, CEO and Founder of MEGA International: “I am very enthusiastic about this partnership and believe Gimv can bring a lot of value through their software expertise and experience in accompanying ambitious entrepreneurs in their international growth”.

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Melker Schörling will leave his board positions in the spring of 2017

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Published: 08:00 CEST 24-10-2016 /GlobeNewswire /Source: Melker Schörling AB / : MELK /ISIN: SE0001785270
Melker Schörling will leave his board positions in the spring of 2017

Due to gradually deteriorating health, I will leave my board positions at the annual general meetings in the spring of 2017.

We will together with the nomination committees present proposals of new chairmen of the boards in MSAB, Hexagon, AAK and Hexpol during the next couple of months. I will of course continue to support and act as advisor to our managements and boards of directors.

I am happy to already now be able to inform you that we will propose to welcome back Carl-Henric Svanberg to MSAB’s Board of Directors at the annual general meeting in the spring. With his vast industrial experience and strong financial commitment to our group, he will be a great asset for us in the board.

At the annual general meeting we will propose Sofia Schörling Högberg to be Vice Chairman of the Board in MSAB next to Mikael Ekdahl. Märta Schörling Andreen will continue as a member of the board in MSAB, Hexpol and AAK.

The process of finding a successor to the current CEO of MSAB, Ulrik Svensson, continues and we expect to be able to present a new CEO later this year.

Stockholm 24th of October 2016

Melker Schörling

For further questions, please contact:

Melker Schörling AB
Tel: +46 8 407 36 60
Email: ir@melkerschorlingab.se

This information is information that Melker Schörling AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08.00 CEST on 24th of October 2016.

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ExproSoft announces acquisition of Miriam

ExproSoft, a supplier of well integrity and reliability software to the oil & gas industry, has acquired Miriam, a supplier of RAM analysis software. The acquisition strengthens and complements ExproSoft’s software portfolio, and further increases the capabilities of ExproSoft to aid oil & gas operators with increasing well uptime and reducing intervention and maintenance cost.

Miriam’s RAM Studio software is a tool for conducting reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analysis. The software helps the oil & gas operators achieve high regularity of oil and gas fields and processing facilities. RAM Studio is a cloud-based platform that enables powerful integration with other solutions.

ExproSoft’s WellMaster software suite is a globally recognized solution for well integrity management and well performance analytics. With more than 40,000 well years of equipment history the solution helps operators identify critical equipment, failures, risk, and downtime drivers. Combined with online monitoring and testing the solution helps in reducing downtime and cost.

Integrating Miriam RAM Studio with WellMaster will enable prediction of failures, downtime, and intervention cost for new and existing wells. This is aligned with ExproSoft’s strategy of further improving well prediction and optimization, and introduce risk-based maintenance planning.

“Miriam has proven to be a next step in RAM analysis. Delivered as a cloud-based service Miriam has demonstrated that it is the most agile solution for RAM analysis in the market. ExproSoft is pleased to be able to offer the two products, Miriam and WellMaster, to the market, as well as the combined analytic capabilities that will change the way the oil and gas industry look at maintenance optimization throughout the complete value chain,” says Odd Are Svensen, CEO of ExproSoft.

“Miriam sees in this acquisition a great opportunity to accelerate the development and marketing of its RAM Studio software, thus better serve the needs of its current and future users. At the same time, Miriam is proud to have been chosen by ExproSoft, a leader within well analytics, as the preferred solution to support WellMaster’s well prediction features. The synergy between the two companies will allow a faster delivery of customer value for RAM Studio and WellMaster in the years to come,” says Christophe Spaggiari, CTO of Miriam.

Exprosoft is a Viking Venture 3 portfolio company. More info: exprosoft.com

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Viking Venture invests in secure document collaboration company Xait AS

Viking Venture

Viking Venture invests in the Norwegian company Xait AS. The company has developed XaitPorter, a document collaboration and production tool used by major corporations globally.

Xait AS was founded by CEO Owe Lie-Bjelland and CFO Arnt Jørund Andreassen in 2000 and has grown to be a major player in the market for production of complex documents. The company has implemented a cloud based offering with a subscription based business model. XaitPorter is used by corporations when producing complex documents such as tenders, proposals, reports, governing documents and project documentation. The software supports both the production and formatting dimension as well as the project management, review and approval dimension of document production.

“We are impressed by the quality of the team, the product and the customers they have attracted. With more than 30% growth and 90% recurring revenue, this company is ideally positioned for further international expansion,” commented, Eivind Bergsmyr partner in Viking Venture and chairman of Xait.

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COTY agrees to aqcquire GHD (“GOOD HAIR DAY”) The World’s Premium hair straightners & Appliances Company

Transaction Further Strengthens Coty’s Worldwide Leading Position in Professional Hair
NEW YORK ­­(BUSINESS WIRE)­­Oct. 17, 2016­­

Coty Inc.(NYSE: COTY) announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire ghd (www.ghdhair.com), a premium brand in high­end hairstyling appliances from Lion Capital LLP for approximately ₤420 million (ca.USD$510 million) in cash. The transaction will be funded with a combination of cash on hand and available debt facilities. Upon closing, the acquisition is expected to be immediately
accretive to Coty’s earnings.

ghd, which stands for “Good Hair Day,” generated ₤178 million in
revenues in fiscal year 2016. ghd is headquartered in London and has commercial operations in the United Kingdom,
Australia, the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italyand several other markets.
The company has been expanding from its core salon channel into premium retail and e­commerce. ghd will become part of the Coty Professional Beauty division, where it will be managed as a standalone business led by its current CEO Anthony Davey and management team. Anthony Davey will report to Sylvie Moreau, President of
Coty Professional Beauty.

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