PRESS RELEASE 11 March 2008

WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT

EUROPE ’S TOP BUSINESS AWARDS

The crème de la crème of European business is toasting success after the winners of the European Business Awards 2008 were announced in Paris today.

The success of companies and people including Procter & Gamble, Isuzu Truck (UK) Limited, Intamac Systems Ltd, Econcern, Petrotechnics Limited and Steve Leach (Group CEO, Bigmouthmedia) was marked today before an audience of European business leaders, politicians and press at the annual gathering to celebrate Europe’s top businesses and business people.

Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar presented The Business Leader of the Year Award to Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, President and CEO of Nokia.

French Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment, Christine Lagarde, welcomed the audience. “It is wonderful that all 27 member states of Europe are together, particularly at a time when Europe has been so criticized for not moving forward. We want a strong Europe and you are participating in the process of building a strong Europe, piece by piece,” she said to the attendees.

This year saw entries from 25 of the 27 member states. Entries flooded in from April 2007, and the exhaustive judging process required more than 453 working days of combined effort from the judging panels and finalists. There are seven award categories, with each category having up to ten ‘Ruban d’Honneur’ recipients. The Ruban d’Honneur recipients are then judged again and a winner declared in each category. Volunteer judges 1 are drawn from business, political and academic circles across Europe, and the lengthy process is known to be daunting for entrants.

Adrian Tripp , European Business Awards CEO, says: “ Europe needs more of these types of businesses and entrepreneurs. As globalisation gathers pace the threats and opportunities for Europe will continue to increase. There is no doubt that these winners have the energy, innovativeness, flair and skills to navigate the threats and prosper from the opportunities ahead.”

The Business Leader of the Year award was presented to Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia. Mr Kallasvuo took over the helm two years ago, at a time when technology convergence and major new entrants made his role potentially very difficult. However, by pushing the business more aggressively into new markets, and continuing to drive innovation, he has delivered exceptionally, adding €10 billion to revenues and increasing net profits by 67 per cent.

The Société Générale Award for Customer Focus went to Isuzu Truck ( UK). Isuzu Truck (UK) is the UK distributor of Japan-based vehicle manufacturer, Isuzu. Its mission statement is to make Isuzu the first truly customer-facing truck manufacturer in the UK.  Isuzu’s model for success is wholly customer-based.  It is underlined by a unique customer focus programme called CARE which permeates the whole business, regular customer focus groups, and a market share that has increased by at least 10 per cent year-on-year every year since 1996. Bruno Bassac, Deputy Head of Corporate Coverage in Europe, Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking, said: “We are delighted to recognise companies who also put clients at the heart of their business.  Société Générale applauds Isuzu Truck's commitment to putting the client first and its pursuit of the most effective solutions to satisfy customers' needs."

Procter and Gamble collected The Award for Corporate Sustainability. If you wanted a text book example of how to design, implement and embed a sustainability strategy into a huge corporate of more 52,000 people, the judges felt this would be the one. Procter and Gamble proved it really does deliver on its promise of “improving consumer’s lives now and for generations to come.”

P&G was among the first companies to produce an annual sustainability report – in 1999; it has a global sustainability group – made up of global experts in the field; and produces new environmentally friendly products every year. It has launched new market strategies to enable the delivery of basic consumer needs to lower income consumers through social marketing, with products such as its PUR – Purifier of Water.

The RSM International Entrepreneur of the Year Award went to Steve Leach, Group CEO, Bigmouthmedia. Leach started his first business in his early 20s, went on to become a fireman and pilot, and then returned to commerce to start a pioneering new business in a fledgling industry – an internet business marketing company. His drive, vision and determination saw the business through the tough early years, to emerge today as market leader across Europe. During the last decade, Leach has also managed to develop and sell a software company, and establish a significant property company. Jean Stephens, CEO of category sponsor RSM International, adds: “Steve thoroughly merits the accolades he's achieved, and we offer him our wholehearted congratulations on winning The RSM International Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Bigmouthmedia is about the here and now. Like RSM, it has global offices partnering international companies, and advising them on how to succeed in the ever-developing modern business world.”

The Business Innovation of the Year Award was presented to Intamac Systems. Unbridled by pre-conceived ideas, and with the vision to see how widespread broadband adoption would create a platform for a range of new products and solutions, Intamac has created ambitious new solutions for home owners to address physical home security and assisted living challenges – an approach which caught the judges’ eyes. Its product suite includes development of the world’s first self-install broadband home security system. It also adopted an innovative route to market – via telecommunications, insurance and utility players.

The Atradius Growth Strategy of the Year Award went to Petrotechnics, an IT solutions and consultancy provider to the hazardous process industries. Initially identifying a significant untapped market across major global industries, Petrotechnics set about collating as much knowledge, data and expertise as possible in its field. In the process, it has become the worldwide expert in the subject, and used that knowledge to create well designed technology solutions – and a business delivering extraordinary turnover and profit growth that looks likely to accelerate for years to come. The company has seen a 65% profit growth in the last two years, with staff numbers tripling over the same period. “Atradius is delighted to sponsor the Growth Strategy of the Year Award and are proud to be associated with the European Business awards. We wish all the Ruban d’Honneur winners continued success throughout 2008,” said Dr Peter Ingenlath, Deputy Chairman, Atradius

The CMS Business of the Year is Econcern. This energy company has used innovative funding and business models to come to market quickly with new ideas and technologies which have environmental sustainability and commercial viability at their heart. Robert Derry Evans, executive partner of sponsors CMS, and a category judge, says “Econcern is just the type of business Europe needs to be creating. It has established itself as a leader in the sustainable energy sector, which is set to grow exponentially, and has innovation coursing throughout the business, from product design through to business models and management.”

With triple digit growth numbers in a massive global sector that will continue to see exponential growth for the foreseeable future, Econcern has the potential to become one of the world’s corporate giants in the next decades.

The European Business Awards is made possible by the commercial support of the following organisations: CMS Legal Services EEIG; Société Générale; Atradius and RSM International andmedia sponsor TheWall Street Journal Europe.

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*Images available upon request

THE 2008 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AWARDS 2008 WINNERS

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Steve Leach, Group CEO of Bigmouthmedia

www.bigmouthmedia.com

The Award for Corporate Sustainability

Procter & Gamble

www.pg.com

The Société Générale Award for Customer Focus

Isuzu Truck ( UK) Limited

www.isuzutruck.co.uk

The Business Innovation of the Year Award

Intamac Systems Ltd

www.intamac.com

The CMS Business of the Year Award

Econcern

www.econcern.com

The Growth Strategy of the Year Award

Petrotechnics Limited

www.petrotechnics.com

The Business Leader of the Year Award

Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, President and CEO of Nokia

www.nokia.com

About the European Business Awards 2008:

The European Business Awards exists to recognise and reward excellence, best practice and innovation in companies across the European Union. Extensive research and high standards of judging has established the European Business Awards as the showcase of Europe’s skills, achievements and innovations in the field of business. Open to pan-European organisations of all sizes and from any industry sector – public or private – the programme allows top European businesses to showcase achievements, benchmark their success against companies of all types, and celebrate their vision and determination.

The European Business Awards programme serves three distinct purposes for the business community in Europe:

An innovative, strong and thriving business community makes a successful and prosperous Europe.

The European Business Awards is a self funding venture set up and run with the support of forward thinking organisations including: CMS Legal Services EEIG; Société Générale; Atradius; RSM International and The Wall Street Journal Europe. Our supporters believe it is right and important to promote and endorse business success across the European Union for our long term prosperity.

For further information please contact:

The European Business Awards

Giorgio Pirazzini, Project Manager – Public Relations and Marketing

Mobile : +33 (0) 632 623 624 Dir: +33 (0) 148 045 155

Email: giorgio.pirazzini@key20media.com or pressoffice@key20media.com

Visit: www.businessawardseurope.com

Notes to editor:

1) The European Business Awards judging panels: