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Following the Annual General Meeting of “Presses Universitaires de France” (“PUF”) on 10 April 2014, SCOR announces that it has finalised the acquisition of a majority stake in the publishing house.
Founded in 1921 by a cooperative of French university professors, PUF is a publishing house specialising in the publication of books, journals, university manuals, essays and monographs in the field of humanities and social sciences. The PUF catalogue comprises an active fund of 4,000 works and 50 collections, including the collections “Que sais-je ?”, “Quadrige”, “Major” and “Thémis”.
This investment will reinforce PUF’s financial structure and contribute to the restoration of its profitability, against a backdrop of profound transformation in the publishing sector due to digitalisation and changes in terms of how people read and consult works. It is in line with SCOR’s long-term yield approach to investments.
Denis Kessler, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SCOR SE, comments: “Presses Universitaires de France” is at a turning point in its existence against the backdrop of the transformation of the publishing sector. SCOR wants to lend its support to this emblematic humanities and social sciences publisher by providing it with the means to implement its strategy for industrial adaptation, whilst maintaining the independence of its editorial choices.”
