After Vivendi completed its hostile takeover of Gameloft, rumors of Gameloft’s CEO stepping down were floating around. However, those rumors were confirmed by a email penned by Gameloft CEO Michel Guillemot himself.
Within an email provided to Gameinformer, Guillemot details that a change of management will be held a the Shareholders General Meeting on June 29th, however he will remain CEO until that time. Guillemot says, “After that change, I shall not be in the company, a new management with a new strategy will have taken over.”
With Vivendi now owning 61.7% of Gameloft shares, Guillemot claims, “it is interesting to note that only half of the independent shareholders have accepted to tender their shares leading to this meager 61%.”
Guillemot also notes that Vivendi’s offer to purchase shares from those who refused to sell has been reopened until June 15, saying, “now that these shares will not be the shares of an independent company but of a Vivendi dependent company. Being a minority shareholder of a dependent company is not usually recommended.”
Guillemot was incredibly grateful to his team saying, “I wanted to congratulate you all to have created a company that has such a value that most independent shareholders refused to tender their shares to this bid despite two price increases.”
He warns that there may be some significant changes through the takeover, saying “the information published so far by the new owners show that the changes may be profound, for the creators: ‘convergence between creative industries” and for everyone else: ‘pooling of distribution networks’.”
Guillemot also says, “With this change of strategy and management, each of you will redefine where its future lies: Some of you will welcome the change and enthusiastically become Vivendi, some of you will wait and see, some of you will move on and take a new path.”
He closes by thanking his team, saying “Whatever the choice you will make, you will always for me be part of the unique community of creatores who have participated to this great adventure and built Gameloft.”
