AIFI and Ernst & Young promote industry award

AIFI and Ernst & Young, in collaboration with Il Mondo, Il Sole 24 Ore, SDA Bocconi and Borsa Italiana are promoting the second edition of the Claudio Demattè Private Equity of the Year 2005 award.

The purpose of the award is to aknowlege those deals that, having exited in 2004, distinguished themselves in the private equity sector in one of the following categories: early stage, expansion and buyout.

Giampio Bracchi, AIFI’s chairman, said: “Following the success of its first edition, the award intends to confirm itself as an important contribution to the growth, the diffusion and the aknowledgement of the private equity and venture capital market in Italy. As Professor Claudio Demattè, to whom the award is dedicated, always asserted, the private equity and venture capital investment activity represents an ever strengthening propeller for the country’s economy, contributing to its development and accelerating the creation of value in the Italian productive system. Therefore, the presentation and the aknowledgement of the most succesful investments will certainly urge and promote the growth and the development of the entire market.”

The nominations will be judged by professionals belonging to the economic, entrepreneurial and accademic world. The 2005 panel will include: Giampio Bracchi (chairman of AIFI), Diana Bracco (chairman and CEO of Bracco Group), Salvatore Bragantini (economist), Ferruccio De Bortoli (editor in chief of Il Sole 24Ore), Gianni Gambarotta (editor in chief of Il Mondo), Gian Maria Gros Pietro (chairman of Autostrade per l’Italia), Franco Carlo Papa (chairman of Ernst & Young financial business advisors), Andrea Pininfarina (CEO of Pininfarina), Umberto Rosa (chairman of Snia), Angelo Provasoli (rector of the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi), Carlo Secchi (professor at the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi), Raffaello Vignali (chairman of Compagnia delle Opere) .

The award ceremony will be held on Tuesday 20 October 2005. Proceeds will go to the Gol de Letra Foundation to contribute to the education and culture of under-priviledged children and adolescents helping them to improve their opportunities.

The deadline to apply for the award is 15 September 2005. Application is free of charge.

Regulations and application form can be downloaded at www.aifi.it.