Pernod Ricard: Combined General Meeting of 15 November 2011

Regulatory News:

• Dividend: € 1.44 per share
• Renewal of Nicole Bouton’s directorship
• Ratification of Laurent Burelle’s appointment as Director
• Directors’ term of office and necessary amendment to the bylaws

Press Release: Paris, 15 November 2011

Today, Pernod Ricard’s (Paris:RI) shareholders held their Combined General Meeting (ordinary and extraordinary session), chaired by Patrick Ricard, to approve the 2010/2011 consolidated and parent company financial statements for the financial year ended 30 June 2011 and to give their opinion on all draft resolutions submitted for their approval.

Cash dividend: € 1.44 per share
The shareholders approved the payment of a cash dividend of €1.44 per share. An interim dividend payment of €0.67 per share having been paid on 6 July 2011, the balance amounting to €0.77 per share will be detached on 17 November 2011 and paid on 22 November 2011.

Renewal of the term of office of a Director and ratification of the appointment of a new Director
The General Meeting renewed Nicole Bouton’s directorship for a further term of four years.
The General Meeting ratified the appointment of Laurent Burelle as Director, who was co-opted at the Board of Directors’ meeting of 4 May 2011 to replace Lord Douro following the latter’s resignation. Laurent Burelle was appointed for the remainder of his predecessor’s directorship, namely until the close of the General Meeting to be held to approve the financial statements for the financial year 2012/2013.

Term of office of Directors and necessary amendment to the bylaws
The term of office of each Director is set by the bylaws at four years. However, it was deemed necessary to provide for a staggered renewal of members of the Board of Directors. Accordingly, the General Meeting approved an amendment to the bylaws to allow, on an exceptional basis, the General Meeting to appoint certain Directors or renew their term of office for a period of two years.

Biography

Nicole Bouton
63 years old, French citizen, Nicole Bouton is a graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris. From 1970 to 1984, she held the positions of Sub-Manager and then Assistant Manager in the Central Administration of Crédit Commercial de France. From 1984 to 1996, Ms Nicole Bouton went on to hold the positions of Deputy Manager, Manager and finally Managing Director of Lazard Frères et Cie and Lazard Frères Gestion. In 1996, she was appointed member of the Executive Committee of the NSMD bank (ABN AMRO France group) and became Vice-Chairman responsible for Institutional and Bank Clients before being appointed Member of the Management Board in 2000. She also took up the duties of Vice-Chairman of the ABN AMRO France Holding Company the same year. She was appointed as Chairman of the Management Board and then Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Asset Allocation Advisors and Chairman of the Banque du Phénix, which she merged with the NSMD bank in October 1998. Nicole Bouton left ABN AMRO in 2001, and in 2002 she founded Financière Centuria Group, which she chaired until June 2010. In this capacity, she also chairs several subsidiaries including Financière Accréditée, which was acquired in 2006. She is also the Director of several other subsidiaries in the Financière Centuria Group. At the end of June 2010, she sold her shares in Centuria and remains Chairman of Financière Accréditée. She was appointed Chairman of the Strategy Committee of Friedland Gestion, an investment management company, alongside two new partners. Nicole Bouton has been a Director of Pernod Ricard since 2007.

Laurent Burelle
61 years old, French citizen, Laurent Burelle holds a degree in engineering from the Zurich Federal Polytechnic School (Switzerland) as well as a Master of Sciences from MIT (United States).

He spent his entire career with Compagnie Plastic Omnium, including as CEO of Plastic Omnium Spain from 1977 to 1981 and Deputy CEO of Compagnie Plastic Omnium from 1981 to 2001. In 2001, Laurent Burelle was appointed CEO of Compagnie Plastic Omnium. He is also a Director of Lyonnaise de Banque, Labruyère Eberlé and of the Jacques Chirac Foundation.

The Annual General Meeting was broadcast live and can now be viewed in both French and English on the www.pernod-ricard.com website.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits with consolidated sales of € 7,643 million in 2010/11. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin & Sprit (2008).
Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: ABSOLUT Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate (formerly Montana), Campo Viejo and Graffigna wines.
Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of nearly 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 70 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption.
Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.
Pernod Ricard is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is a member of the CAC 40 index.

Shareholders’ agenda:
16 February 2012 2011/12 half-year sales and results
26 April 2012 2011/2012 3rd quarter sales