JCDecaux Acquires VTB Capital’s Russ Outdoor

JCDecaux SA, a global outdoor advertising is to acquire 25 percent of Russ Outdoor, a Russian outdoor advertising company in Russia, pending the required anti-monopoly approvals. As part of the transaction, JCDecaux will contribute its Russian assets from BigBoard to Russ Outdoor. Russ Outdoor was acquired in 2011 by a consortium of investors led by VTB Capital Private Equity.

PRESS RELEASE

VTB Capital announced today that JCDecaux SA, the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, has agreed to acquire 25% of Russ Outdoor, the largest outdoor advertising company in Russia, pending the required anti-monopoly approvals. As part of the transaction, JCDecaux will contribute its Russian assets from BigBoard to Russ Outdoor.

With 2011 revenues of circa USD300 million, Russ Outdoor is the leader in Russian outdoor advertising market with over than 40,000 faces and 3,000 full-time employees. The company is present in 70 Russian cities with estimated cumulative population of 50 million. In 2011, the Company was acquired by a consortium of investors led by VTB Capital Private Equity.

Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, said: “The agreement with JCDecaux represents a vote of confidence in the future of the Russian market and the example of establishing an international partnership which brings foreign know-how and direct investment in our country. JCDecaux is a successful international business and recognized brand. We welcome our new European partner and look forward to further development of our common enterprise.”
Jean-François Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “Russia is Europe’s second largest out-of-home advertising market, which has always represented strategic importance for JCDecaux. We are delighted to team up with strong Russian partners with whom we will be able to capitalize on the high growth potential of the industry. I am confident that with the help of JCDecaux Russ Outdoor will be able to implement the global best practices and bring the latest innovations to Russian cities and transport authorities. I am looking forward to working together with the Company and its shareholder group.”

VTB Capital, the Investment Business of VTB Group, is one of the three strategic business arms of VTB Group, along with the corporate and retail businesses. Since its foundation in 2008, VTB Capital has taken part in more than 288 ECM and DCM deals, which were instrumental in attracting more than USD 117.65bn worth of investments to Russia and CIS.
VTB Capital offers a full range of investment banking products and services to Russian and international clients, focusing on arranging operations in the debt, equity, global commodities markets, developing investment and asset
management, advising clients on M&A and ECM deals in Russia and abroad. VTB Capital operates in Moscow, London, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sofia, New York, Paris and Vienna, with headquarters in Moscow.
VTB Capital holds top positions in the debt and equity capital markets in Russia and CIS according to the league tables for 2011 by Dealogic and Bloomberg. In 2011 and 2012 VTB Capital research team was ranked #1 in Thomson Reuters Extel Survey and Institutional Investor All-Russia Investor Survey.
This press-release does not constitute an offer to the public or an advertisement of securities in the Russian Federation, is not an offer or an invitation to make offers, to purchase securities in the Russian Federation and must not be passed on to third parties or otherwise made publicly available in the Russian Federation.