IFOP ACQUIRES ASECOM, THE LEADING LATIN-AMERICAN MARKET RESEARCH AND CONSULTING COMPANY.

IFOP, the French market research institute, has acquired 80% of the shares of ASECOM Latin America. Headquartered in Buenos Aires, with a staff of 35 and annual revenues of USD 4.5 million, ASECOM provides companies and institutions with a variety of unique and high quality services that cater to the bredth and depth of all business needs.

ASECOM
Founded in 1978 by Jorge García-González, ASECOM is the leading Latin-American institute covering 17 countries in the Region. Jorge García-González, who will remain the President of ASECOM, was recently distinguished with "The John & Mary Goodyear" Award, granted by ESOMAR. He is a member of the University of Texas Advisory Board (USA) and has a strategic view of the international marketing research business.

IFOP
Since the arrival in 1990 of Laurence Parisot, IFOP's Chairman and C.E.O., the French institute has pursued a dual strategy of consolidating its current operations and expanding internationally. Over the past several years, IFOP revenues have reached USD 30 million in 1999.

Some milestones
1997, IFOP founded an Asian subsidiary: IFOP China.
1998, Laurence Parisot took majority control of the IFOP Group.
1999, IFOP acquires CMR (Canada Market Research), the fifth largest market research institute in Canada.

The Group
As a result of the acquisition of ASECOM Latin America the IFOP Group now covers the world's four most important regions: Asia (Shanghai), Europe (Paris), North America (Toronto) and Latin America (Buenos Aires).

Press contact:
Doreen Wolpert
Darko Rakin