SEC : to acquire 51% of Colombia’s leading Corporate communications and Public Affairs agency Newlink Comunicaciones Estratégicas SAS’s capital shares.

PRESS RELEASE

COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY: SEC SPA STEPS LATAM MARKET UP

SEC to acquire 51% of Colombia's leading Corporate communications and Public Affairs agency Newlink Comunicaciones Estratégicas SAS's capital shares. Fiorenzo Tagliabue: "This is a strategic move ahead of SEC Group expansion in the Continent"

Milan, 2 January 2018-SEC SpA, leading Italian advocacy, PR and integrated communication company, listed on AIM market of London stock Exchange, acquired the majority shareholding (51%) of Bogotà basedNewlink Comunicaciones Estratégicas SAS, which is the second advocacy and PR agency in the Colombian market.

The deal, which is worth about 2 millions€, is based on a 4 year earn out scheme, with the final price to be determined on completing established increase of the EBIDTA aligned to a forecasted yearly increase of 12,5%.

Under the agreement it is also foreseen, after 5 years, for Newlink minority shareholders the put option for the remaining 49% of the shares. In this case shares will be paid with a mixed system: 50% of their value in cash and the remaining 50% through an exchange scheme with SEC SpA's shares.

Newlink Comunicaciones Estratégicas SAS claims a leading positioning in corporate communications, Public affairs and Marketing communications markets in Colombia with a portfolio that includes reference brands in different industries such as, among others, CocaCola, Ford Foundation, Adidas, Sanofi, BAT (British American Tobacco), MichaelPage, Amgen, Colmena, Aldea.

Newlink turnover in 2016 has been 2,8 millions Euro that generated an EBITDA of up to nearly 250.000 Euro.

Minority shareholders will keep the management and operations of Newlink Comunicaciones Estratégicas allowing continuity to keep the momentum that led Newlink to the present leading position. This aspect is fully aligned with SEC strategic focus that is not to simply build a network of agencies rather than to create a strategic alliance amongst entrepreneurs who jointly shares a common development project.

María Claudia De Francisco Zambrano and Rafael Mora will consequently keep their role of Managing Partners in Newlink while joining at the same time the SEC Group Management Committee, the governing body where all the agencies CEOs share decision making under the presidency of Tom Parker, Ceo of Cambre and Associates, the Brussels based Advocacy and Public Affairs with an EU focus agency of the SEC Group.

"We are very satisfied"Fiorenzo Tagliabue, SEC's CEO stated"because thanks to this acquisition we are now able to look after a market of huge interest and potentials where European Groups are operating and planning significant investment". "This further step"- Fiorenzo Tagliabue added - "is also a dramatic move in our expansion project through Latin America, a Region and a market that are getting more and more credibility and relevance at international level. Bogotà will turn into our hub to plan our next steps and further investments throughout South America".

"This operation"Tagliabue wrapped up"that comes after last year deals in Europe Middle and Far East and Australia, allows our project to gain consistency for the investors according to the plans we presented to financial communities when lauching our IPO at AIM in LSE on July 201".

For further enquiries:

SEC S.p.A

Marco Fraquelli phone: [phone]

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SEC Spa(www.secrp.com-www.secglobalnetwork.com- Twitter: @sec_rp), Italy's independent leading Communication firm listed at the AIM segment of London Stock Exchange. Established in 1989 in Milano, where it is headquartered, has now over 200 professionals across Italy and Europe. Operations in Italy includes controlling shareholding in agencies in Roma, Torino and Bari, along with local offices in Venezia, Udine, Catania and correspondents in Ancona, Firenze, Reggio Calabria and Palermo. From 2013 SEC owns the control shares of Cambre SA, leading public affairs and advocacy agency towards the Euroepan Unions institutions based in Brussels; from 2014 ACH Cambre in Madrid, from 2015 Kohl Pr - und Partner GmbH, based in Berlin, from 2016 Newington, with HQ in London and operations in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester and Chelmsford and from 2017 Martis Consulting, in Warsaw. From August 2017 SEC is the first shareholder of Porta Communications Plc, a Communications and marketing conglomerate listed on AIM market of LSE, with its own brands operating in UK, Emirates, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. SEC Group footprint is completed by majority shareholding in other Italian companies operating in the communications industry such as Curious Design and in the service sector HIT. SEC consolidated turnover in 2016 was about 18 millions Euro.