Tag: GlobeNewswire

PUBLICIS GROUPE COMPLETES LIVERAMP ACQUISITION

LAUNCHES THE INDUSTRY’S FIRST PLUG-AND-PLAY AI GROWTH ENGINE

THAT CLIENTS FULLY OWN AND CONTROL

2^nd November 2026 – Paris – Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] today announced the closing of its acquisition of LiveRamp, completing its industry-first plug-and-play AI growth engine, that clients own and control end-to-end. Click here to see the official launch film.

Combining LiveRamp’s enterprise-grade collaboration platform with Epsilon’s identity, this AI growth engine enables clients to natively enrich their data, activate across the full media ecosystem, personalise content, measure business outcomes, and generate proprietary intelligence for their agents, all within their own environments. In doing so, it unlocks new sources of growth for clients, while opening up a new addressable market for Publicis in agentic business transformation.

Fueled by our clients’ mission-critical needs, it clicks together with Publicis’ full offering, with Publicis Sapient modernising technology infrastructures, Marcel’s agentic activation layer, and the Groupe’s creative, media, influencer and commerce capabilities.

Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, said:
“Clients are at a point in their transformation journey where they need to simultaneously run and reset, to deliver growth today while fundamentally rebuilding for the AI agents of tomorrow. 

Right now, they are trapped between two bad options: surrender their data to walled gardens for easy scale, and lose control. Or hire an army of consultants to build custom pipes, and lose time and money.

Our answer is the industry’s first AI growth engine, combining the speed, simplicity and instant results of plug and play, with full ownership and control, so clients can drive business impact without giving up autonomy over their data, their technology, or their future.” 

PLUG & PLAY: immediate scale and activation, frictionless data co-creation.

Publicis can now plug a Connected Data and AI Network into clients’ own environments, delivering two key benefits.

1. Immediate Scale & Activation

Clients can natively enrich their first-party data with RampID and Epsilon’s Identity, adding thousands of attributes and making billions of prospects addressable. This data can then be activated directly across LiveRamp’s connected ecosystem of 25,000 publishers, 500 technology and data partners, retail networks, walled gardens, LLM integrations, and now Publicis’ own media network.

From day one, clients gain deeper customer and prospect intelligence, seamless cross-platform activation and closed-loop measurement of business outcomes, at scale and with unparalleled transparency. 

2. Frictionless Data Co-Creation

Growth requires collaboration with retailers, streaming platforms and brand partners, but this has traditionally meant complex legal processes, custom integrations and security hurdles. Now, those connections come pre-wired.

Our enterprise-grade clean rooms and zero-copy capabilities enable secure data co-creation with ecosystem partners, unlocking differentiated, net-new insights to fuel clients’ proprietary AI models and build a sustained competitive advantage.

OWN & CONTROL: Clients fully own their future.

The foundation, and compounding advantage, of this model is simple: clients should own their future, not rent it. This AI growth engine is private by design, and built on three clear principles:

• Client data stays in their environments : clients maintain full ownership and control of their data and intelligence.
• Client AI IP remains theirs : clients co-create and own proprietary data and intelligence assets that compound in value over time.
• Zero platform lock-in: clients choose their technology and partners and retain control of their connected data and AI network.

Scott Howe, CEO of LiveRamp, said:
“ For years, LiveRamp has defined how the industry responsibly connects and collaborates with data. Joining Publicis allows us to give clients a foundation to scale agentic marketing with complete data ownership and control. This milestone is a testament to our extraordinary team, who turned a bold vision into the data collaboration network for the AI era.”

Arthur Sadoun added:
“LiveRamp isn’t just a state-of-the-art data collaboration platform. It’s an incredible team of data, technology and privacy experts who we are delighted to welcome to the Publicis family. Through the Power of One, we will bring their incredible expertise together with the best of Publicis while preserving LiveRamp’s identity, culture, and neutrality.

Together, we will give our clients the AI engine they need to deliver instant business results, and power their agentic frameworks today and for the future.”

  

About Publicis Groupe – The Power of One
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in communication. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients’ transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on ten expertise concentrated within four main activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, its clients have a facilitated access to all its expertise in every market. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 114,000 professionals.

www.publicisgroupe.com| X | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Viva la Difference!

Contact Publicis Groupe

Amy Hadfield	Director of Global Communications	+ 33 1 44 43 70 75	amy.hadfield@publicisgroupe.com
Michelle McGowan	Corporate Communications	+1 312 315 5259	michelle.mcgowan@publicisgroupe.com
Eleanor Conroy	Corporate Communications	+447746746466	eleanor.conroy@publicisgroupe.com
Jean-Michel Bonamy	Deputy CFO, Investor Relations	+ 33 1 44 43 74 88	jean-michel.bonamy@publicisgroupe.com

Attachment

• PUBLICIS GROUPE COMPLETES LIVERAMP ACQUISITION

23, Place des Carmes-Déchaux – 63000 CLERMONT-FERRAND

Information about securities repurchasing program
Regulated information
Issuer social denomination: Michelin – LEI 549300SOSI58J6VIW052
Types of securities: ordinary shares – Code ISIN FR001400AJ45
Date : November 2nd, 2026

Issuer Name	Issuer code	Transaction date	ISIN Code	Daily total volume (in number of actions)	Daily weighted average price of shares acquired	Platform
Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin	549300SOSI58J6VIW052	02.11.2026	FR001400AJ45	1 033 090	31,6744 euros	Over-the-counter
Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin	549300SOSI58J6VIW052	02.11.2026	FR001400AJ45	1 033 090	31,6744 euros	Over-the-counter

Issuer Name	Issuer code	PSI Name	Issuer Code	Transaction date	ISIN Code	Unit Price	Currency	Quantity bought	Platform	Transaction reference number	Buyback objective
Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin	549300SOSI58J6VIW052	BNP PARIBAS	R0MUWSFPU8MPRO8K5P83	02.11.2026	FR001400AJ45	31,6744	Euro	1 033 090	Over-the-counter	5309224	Cancellation
Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin	549300SOSI58J6VIW052	SOCIETE GENERALE	O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41	02.11.2026	FR001400AJ45	31,6744	Euro	1 033 090	Over-the-counter	5309224	Cancellation

Attachment

• 20261102 – Disclosure of trading in own shares – November 2nd, 2026

Press release – Regulated Information

Melexis: update on the share buy-back program

Ieper, Belgium – 2 November 2026, 17.45 hrs CET

Melexis reports the purchase of 9,800 Melexis shares on Euronext Brussels in the period from 26 October 2026 to 30 October 2026, related to the share buy-back program announced on 10 December 2025.

Trade date	Total shares purchased	Average price (€)	Min price (€)	Max price (€)	Buyback amount (€)
26/10/2026	–	–	–	–	–
27/10/2026	–	–	–	–	–
28/10/2026	–	–	–	–	–
29/10/2026	5,000	57.74	56.75	58.80	288,700
30/10/2026	4,800	55.77	55.05	56.85	267,698
TOTAL	9,800	56.78	55.05	58.80	556,398

Under the current share buy-back program for up to 850,000 shares, Melexis purchased 263,337 treasury shares.

Including 831,491 shares purchased under a previous share buy-back program, Melexis now holds 1,094,828 treasury shares.

Contact
Investor Relations
Email: investor@melexis.com

About Melexis
Melexis designs, develops, and delivers edge sensor and driver solutions with a heart for people and planet. Its mission is to empower engineers to turn their ideas into applications that support the best imaginable future, one that is safe, comfortable and sustainable. Melexis specializes in powertrain, thermal management, lighting, e-brake, e-steering and battery solutions for the automotive sector. It also expands its presence in the emerging markets of sustainable world, alternative mobility, robotics, and digital health.
Founded in 1989 in Belgium, Melexis has grown to employ approximately 2,000 people in 12 countries, delivering cutting-edge technology to customers worldwide.

For more information, visit www.melexis.com or follow Melexis on LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Disclaimer
Except for those statements that report the Company’s historical results, the statements being made are forward looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from expectations include the following: volatility in supply and demand affecting revenues and market prices, price and availability of silicon foundry, assembly and test prices, assembly and test subcontract capacity required to meet financial targets and/or meet backlog requirements, risks and delays associated with bringing up new production capabilities or with deliveries from subcontractors, timing and market acceptance of new products, increased expenses associated with new product acceptance of new products, increased expenses associated with new product introductions of process changes, delays in developing or achieving volume production of new products, which can result in delays or failure to contribute to revenues and profits, ability of the Company to maintain its customer and vendor base and delays in and/or inability in raising additional capital.

Nanterre, November 2, 2026                     

Disclosure of transactions on shares

from October 26, 2026, to October 30, 2026

Within the framework of the authorization granted by the General Meeting of VINCI SA of April 14, 2026, to trade in its shares and in accordance with the regulations relating to share buybacks, VINCI SA (LEI:213800WFQ334R8UXUG83) declares the purchases of treasury shares below (FR0000125486), carried out from October 26, 2026, to October 30, 2026:

I – Aggregate presentation by day and by market

Issuer’s name	Date of transaction	Identifying code of financial instrument	Aggregated daily volume (in number of shares)	Daily weighted average price of the purchased shares in Euro	Market (MIC code)
VINCI	2026-10-26	FR0000125486	13 520	108,050836	XPAR
VINCI	2026-10-26	FR0000125486	9 984	108,083654	CEUX
VINCI	2026-10-26	FR0000125486	7 650	108,215882	AQEU
VINCI	2026-10-26	FR0000125486	3 846	108,140874	TQEX
VINCI	2026-10-27	FR0000125486	15 365	108,560846	XPAR
VINCI	2026-10-27	FR0000125486	11 810	108,596071	CEUX
VINCI	2026-10-27	FR0000125486	4 155	108,730144	AQEU
VINCI	2026-10-27	FR0000125486	3 670	108,654959	TQEX
VINCI	2026-10-28	FR0000125486	15 299	108,381179	XPAR
VINCI	2026-10-28	FR0000125486	9 387	108,407766	CEUX
VINCI	2026-10-28	FR0000125486	6 468	108,267007	AQEU
VINCI	2026-10-28	FR0000125486	2 846	108,303584	TQEX
VINCI	2026-10-29	FR0000125486	16 497	108,964133	XPAR
VINCI	2026-10-29	FR0000125486	7 954	108,978677	CEUX
VINCI	2026-10-29	FR0000125486	6 202	109,019921	AQEU
VINCI	2026-10-29	FR0000125486	3 347	108,982985	TQEX
VINCI	2026-10-30	FR0000125486	14 409	108,672875	XPAR
VINCI	2026-10-30	FR0000125486	10 211	108,649300	CEUX
VINCI	2026-10-30	FR0000125486	5 854	108,633200	AQEU
VINCI	2026-10-30	FR0000125486	2 526	108,578345	TQEX
		TOTAL	171 000	108,5372

II – Details of transactions

In accordance with Article 5 (1) (b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (Regulation on market abuse), detailed information is available on the VINCI website:

https://www.vinci.com/finances-bourse-actionnariat-transactions/rachat-actions

Attachment

• Communique VINCI – declaration hebdo- rachat dactions from to 26-10-26 to 30-10-26

NEXITY
Société anonyme
au capital de 280 648 620 euros
Siège Social : 67 rue Arago
93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine
444 346 795 RCS Bobigny

Monthly disclosure of the total number
of voting rights and shares composing the share capital in accordance
with Articles L. 233-8-II of the French Commercial Code and 223-16 of the General Regulation of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers

Information cut-off date	Total number of shares	Net total number of voting rights
30 October 2026	56,129,724	Total gross	56,129,724
		Net total	55,630,867

* Net total = Total number of voting rights attached to the shares – shares without voting rights

Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, 2 November 2026

Attachment

• 2026_11_02 – Monthly disclosure of voting rights and shares – October 2026

COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at October 31, 2026

Paris, November 2, 2026 – 5.45 p.m.

Total Number of Shares Capital	Theoretical Number of Voting Rights1	Number of Real Voting Rights2
150,179,792	150,179,792	149,505,412

⁽¹⁾ including own shares
⁽²⁾ excluding own shares

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

About Coface COFACE SA is a société anonyme (joint-stock corporation), with a Board of Directors (Conseil d’Administration) incorporated under the laws of France, and is governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code. The Company is registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) under the number 432 413 599. The Company’s registered office is at 1 Place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois Colombes, France. At the date of December 31, 2025, the Company’s share capital amounts to €300,359,584, divided into 150,179,792 shares, all of the same class, and all of which are fully paid up and subscribed. All regulated information is available on the company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors). Coface SA. is listed on Euronext Paris – Compartment A ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

Attachment

• 2026 10 31 Declaration Shares Voting Rights

Monthly disclosure of the total number of shares and voting rights 

Paris, 02/11/26 

Article 223-16 of the AMF General Regulation

Date	Shares	Voting rights
		Theoritical (1)	Exercisable (2)
31 Octobre 2026	388,468,889	499,578,279	496,480,666

(1) In accordance with Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation, this number is calculated on the basis of all the shares to which voting rights are attached, including shares for which voting rights have been suspended.

(2) For information purposes only, this number has been calculated net of the shares for which voting rights have been suspended.

The information is also available in the “Regulated Information” section of the Bouygues website.

BOUYGUES SA
A French Société Anonyme with share capital of €385,323,631
Registered office: 32, avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris, France
Reg No. 572 015 246 Paris – I.E. FR 29 572 015 246

About Bouygues  

Bouygues is a diversified services group operating in around 80 countries with around 200,000 employees all working to make life better every day. Its business activities in the Construction Division (Colas, Bouygues Construction, Bouygues Immobilier), energies & services (Equans), telecoms (Bouygues Telecom) and media (TF1) are able to drive growth since they all satisfy constantly changing and essential needs. 

Attachment

• MonthlyDisclosure_Octobre2026_EN

Ivry-sur-Seine – France, November 2^nd, 2026

TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES
AND VOTING RIGHTS

Statement in compliance with article L. 233-8 II of the French commercial code and article 223- 16 of the General Regulation of the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF – Autorité des marchés financiers)

Stock Market	Euronext Paris
ISIN Code	FR0011476928

Date	Total number of shares composing the share capital of the company	Total number of gross voting rights	Total number of net voting rights (*)
October 31, 2026	29,682,146	29,682,146	29,369,800

(*) Net = After deduction of the shares deprived of voting right

In accordance with Article 9 of the Company’s Articles of Association, any physical or legal person, acting alone or in concert, who comes to hold, or ceases to hold, directly or indirectly, a percentage of the company’s capital or voting rights equal to or greater than 3% or any multiple of 1% above 3%, is required to inform the company by registered letter with return receipt requested within the time limit provided for in Article R. 233-1 of the French Commercial Code (i.e., as of today, at the latest before the close of trading on the fourth trading day following the day on which the shareholding threshold is crossed).

Under the terms of the twentieth resolution of the General Meeting of 29 May 2015, it was decided not to grant any double voting rights as instituted by law 2014-384 of 29 March 2014.

CONTACT

ANALYSTS / INVESTORS     investisseurs@fnacdarty.com

Attachment

• Number of shares and voting rights as of October 31, 2026

Press release – Neuilly-sur-Seine, Monday, November 2, 2026 – 5.45 pm

ARGAN and PUMA inaugurate a new
warehouse in Vendenheim (67)

Source: ARGAN

ARGAN strengthens its presence in the Strasbourg logistics hub with the acquisition of a new
41,000 sqm facility, developed by LCR and operated by ID Logistics to support PUMA’s B2B operations in France.

ARGAN, PUMA and ID Logistics celebrated the official inauguration of the new logistics facility in Vendenheim, in the Bas-Rhin department of France. Developed by LCR and subsequently acquired by ARGAN, this 41,000 sqm property accommodates the sportswear brand’s B2B operations in France. It demonstrates how real estate expertise, technological innovation and operational excellence come together to address today’s supply chain challenges.

An Automated Facility Driving Logistics Performance
Operated by ID Logistics, this new facility incorporates state-of-the-art automation technologies, including an AutoStore system powered by 98 robots. The facility is designed to meet PUMA’s demanding order fulfillment and responsiveness requirements, with a processing capacity of up to 57,000 order lines per day.

Designed to support the growth of PUMA’s operations in France, the facility serves as a strategic logistics hub, tailored to meet the distribution needs of PUMA’s customers.

A High-Performance Logistics Facility with Strong Environmental Commitments
The facility has achieved BREEAM Excellent certification and incorporates several features designed to enhance its energy efficiency, including photovoltaic panels for on-site electricity consumption and LED lighting.

These features reflect an approach aimed at combining real estate performance, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

ARGAN Strengthens Its Presence in a Dynamic Logistics Hub
With this acquisition, ARGAN continues to expand its logistics real estate portfolio in eastern France and strengthens its presence in Vendenheim, where the Group already owns a warehouse developed for AUCHAN.

This complementary presence enables ARGAN to further strengthen its foothold in a dynamic region of strategic importance for logistics flows.

Stephane Cassagne, ARGAN’s Director of Development and Asset Management:

“This transaction perfectly illustrates ARGAN’s role as a long-term real estate investor. By acquiring this logistics facility developed by LCR, we are supporting PUMA’s logistics needs while continuing to build a high-performing and sustainable property portfolio. This new acquisition, which further strengthens our existing presence in Vendenheim, also reflects our commitment to establishing a lasting foothold in this rapidly growing logistics hub.”

2026 financial calendar

• November 20: Combined General Meeting (WDP merger project)

2027¹ financial calendar (Publication of the press release after closing of the stock exchange)

• January 4: Net sales of 4^th quarter 2026
• January 21: Annual results 2026
• March 25: General Meeting 2027

About ARGAN

ARGAN is the only French real estate company specializing in the DEVELOPMENT & RENTAL OF PREMIUM WAREHOUSES listed on EURONEXT and is the leading player in its market in France. Building on a unique customer-centric approach, ARGAN develops PREMIUM and pre-let Au0nom® -labelled warehouses – i.e., which produce their own energy for self-consumption – for blue-chip companies, with tailor-made services throughout all project phases from the development milestones to the rental management. As at June 30, 2026, ARGAN represented a portfolio of 3.9 million sq.m, with close to 110 warehouses located in the continental area of France. Appraised at a total of €4.3 billion (excl. duties), this portfolio generates a yearly rental income of €224 million (yearly rental income based on the portfolio delivered as at June 30, 2026).
Profitability, well-mastered debt and sustainability are at the heart of ARGAN’s DNA. The financial solidity of the Group’s model is notably reflected in its Investment-grade rating (BBB- with a stable outlook) with Standard & Poor’s. ARGAN is also deploying a committed ESG policy addressing all its stakeholders. Achievements as part of this roadmap are regularly recognized by third-party agencies such as GRESB (rated: 83/100), Sustainalytics (low extra-financial risk), Ethifinance (gold medal) and Ecovadis (silver medal – top 15% amongst rated companies).
ARGAN is a listed real estate investment company (French SIIC), on Compartment A of Euronext Paris (ISIN FR0010481960 – ARG) and is included in the Euronext SBF 120, CAC All-Share, EPRA Europe and IEIF SIIC France indices.

www.argan.fr

Francis Albertinelli – CFO Aymar de Germay – General Secretary Samy Bensaid – Head of Investor Relations Phone: +33 1 47 47 47 40 E-mail: contact@argan.fr

Marlène Brisset – Media relations Phone: +33 6 59 42 29 35 E-mail: argan@cdrconsultancy.com

---

1 Indicative timetable, subject to change, in particular depending on the completion of the merger.

Attachment

• 20261102 – Vendenheim PUMA ID EN

COFACE SA: John Gaines joins the Board of Directors

Paris, 2 November 2026 – 5.45 pm

The Board of Directors of COFACE SA co-opted John Gaines, Executive Vice President & Chief Actuary of Arch Mortgage Insurance (United States), as a non-independent director on the Board of Directors, replacing Yves Charbonneau.

The composition of the COFACE SA Board of Directors remains unchanged, comprising 10 members (5 women and 5 men), including a majority of independent directors (6).

————————

Biography

John Gaines is Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary at Arch MI, where he oversees the teams responsible for pricing, claims provisioning, and business systems. Before joining Arch MI, he served as Chief Underwriting Officer at United Guaranty Corporation, a company acquired by Arch MI in 2016. Prior to that, he held several senior management roles at United Guaranty, including Senior Vice President – Deputy Chief Risk Officer, Senior Vice President – National Accounts, Senior Vice President – Operations, and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the group’s Canadian operations. John Gaines holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Clemson University (South Carolina, USA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Bob Jones University (Greenville, South Carolina, USA). He is also a member of the Casualty Actuarial Society, where he holds the title of Fellow (FCAS).

CONTACTS

INVESTOR/ANALYST RELATIONS
Thomas Jacquet: +33 1 49 02 12 58 – thomas.jacquet@coface.com
Rina Andriamiadantsoa: +33 1 49 02 15 85 – rina.andriamiadantsoa@coface.com

MEDIA RELATIONS
Saphia Gaouaoui: +33 1 49 02 14 91 – saphia.gaouaoui@coface.com
Adrien Billet: +33 1 49 02 23 63 – adrien.billet@coface.com

FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2026/2027
(subject to change)
2026 Annual Results: February 18, 2027, after market close
Q1-2027 results: May 10, 2027, after market close
General Meeting: May 19, 2027
H1-2027 results: August 2, 2027, after market close
9M-2027 results: November 8, 2027, after market close

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This press release, as well as all of COFACE SA’s regulated information, can be found on the Group’s website: https://www.coface.com/investors

For regulated information on Alternative Performance Indicators (APMs), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2026 and our 2025 Universal Registration Document (see 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”)

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

COFACE: FOR TRADE As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for 80 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment. Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk Insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring. Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets. In 2025, Coface employed 5,511 people and recorded a turnover of ~€1.84 billion. www.coface.com COFACE SA is listed on Compartment A of Euronext Paris ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

DISCLAIMER – Certain statements in this press release may contain forecasts that notably relate to future events, trends, projects or targets. By nature, these forecasts include identified or unidentified risks and uncertainties, and they may be affected by many factors likely to give rise to a significant discrepancy between the real results and those stated in these statements. Please refer to chapter 5 “Main risk factors and risk management within the Group” of the Coface Group’s 2025 Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on April 2, 2026 under number D.26-0218 to obtain a description of certain major factors, risks and uncertainties likely to influence the Coface Group’s businesses. The Coface Group disclaims any intention or obligation to publish an update of these forecasts or to provide new information on future events or any other circumstance.

Attachment

• 2026 11 02 -PR – John Gaines joins the Board of Directors