Organisation

The proposals, involvement and monitoring of the Ambassadors of the projects, current or former employees of Comgest Group, are at the heart of the endowment fund’s activity. Each project to be considered by the Comgest Foundation must have a sponsor who acts as an Ambassador.

An Ambassador must be a current or former employee of the Comgest Group. Priority will be given to Ambassadors who are current employees of the Comgest Group or who actively contribute to the work of the endowment fund.

As an Ambassador, a person accepts a responsibility to present, monitor and report on an individual project of his/her choice.

Before presenting a project, an Ambassador should :

• Visit or otherwise meet the organisation behind the project
• Help the organisation – where appropriate – prepare the required project documentation for The Comgest Foundation
• Help the Comgest Foundation with any additional information requirements
• Provide a key contact(s) and stay closely in touch with them
• Upon a successful project application, the Ambassador becomes responsible for updating the Foundation at least once a year.

For multi-annual projects, the Ambassador should carry out an in-depth annual review, consistent with the size and characteristics of the project, to ensure that it is progressing properly.

Upon completion of a project, the Ambassador should assist the organisation in preparing and present on its behalf the success analysis of the project.

The idea behind the Comgest Foundation Ambassador is to guarantee the seriousness and reputation of the project, to encourage active commitment and involvement of employees on behalf of and alongside The Comgest Foundation.

In analyzing the projects, the Board members base their choices with a reference to the following criteria (non-exhaustive list):

• Alignment with The Comgest Foundation’s missions and values,
• Commitment level of the Ambassador in the project monitoring
• Impact on final beneficiaries,
• Quality of the presentation document (information, detailed budget, timetable)
• Reasonable guarantee on the honorability/reputation of the applicant and the responsible people involved.
• Project’s budget compatible with the Foundation’s budget in order for the Foundation to make a significant impact. The Board may decide to finance only a part of the project.
• Diversity of the selected projects,
• Number of current projects with respect to the Foundation’s budget,

If a member of the board is Ambassador of a project, this member of the board will be excluded from deliberations regarding this project.

The process ends in September with the selection of the projects to be financed. If the projects are not presented by French non-profit organisation, they can be financed directly by a Comgest entity.

Each year, in March, calls for projects are sent out to all Comgest Group employees. On average, a dozen projects are received and examined by the Board of Directors. Selected projects may be supported directly by The Comgest Foundation, or by a Comgest entity if the project sponsor is not based in France.

The Board of Directors is composed of current and former Comgest’s employees.

• Chairman: Philippe Lebeau, C.E.O. of Comgest S.A.
• Abla Bellakhdar, Fund Manager, Comgest S.A.
• Frédéric Bustin, Investor Relations, Comgest S.A.
• Frédérique Darré, retired Comgest employee
• Arnaud Cosserat, former Chairman and C.E.O. of Comgest Group
• Marie Gauthier, Environmental, Social and Governance Specialist, Comgest S.A.
• Alistair Wittet, Fund Manager, Comgest S.A.

The members of the Board are responsible for the overall management of the endowment fund as well as for the selection of the projects to be financed.

• General Delegate : Monique Erbeia, former Comgest employee