Biesse Group Proposes New Chief Executive Officer
October 19, 2009

At their recent October 9 shareholders meeting, pending approval of an increase in the number of board members from seven to eight, the Biesse S.p.A. board of directors proposed that Dr. Giovanni Barra be appointed to the board with the specific role of chief executive officer (CEO). Dr. Barra has been an active member of the group's management team since October 5, and will be nominated as CEO at the shareholders' meeting on November 12, 2009.

Giovanni Barra, 49, originally from Turin, Italy, comes to Biesse having significant international experience in numerous major multinational organizations. Most recently, Dr. Barra was with the Fiat Group, and has experience with Fiat Holding, FL Lubrificanti, Fidis Servizi Finanziari, Iveco, New Holland in the U.K. and for the past ten years has worked with Case New Holland (CNH) in Brazil and the United States. He holds a degree in business economics from the University of Turin, and is married to Fabia.

"Giovanni Barra's arrival represents an important phase for our company," says Roberto Selci, chairman of Biesse S.p.A.. "I wanted him to join our company because his years of experience in process structured multinational companies will enable him to transfer his abilities, experience and innovation to Biesse, and guide us toward the completion of an organizational model which Biesse has been applying over the past two years. The ultimate objective is the transformation of Biesse into a truly lean company. The choice of an external manager is consistent with the company's willingness to reinforce its management team while at the same time implementing a gradual process of separating responsibilities and roles particularly with regard to the major shareholder."

"I enthusiastically accept this important position which enables me to become part of a dynamic leader in its market which still has considerable potential," says Barra. "We will become even more competitive and successful by implementing more ordered management of the company's processes."

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