Aegis Group, owner of Carat, sent out a brief announcement Friday of what it called an "extraordinary general meeting" of shareholders. It was a response to a renewed request by French investor
Vincent Bollore to place two of his representatives on the company's board. Bollore, who has compared his pursuit of the British company to "a long love affair," is chairman and chief shareholder of
Aegis's French rival, Havas, but also owns 29.9 percent of Aegis's stock. If he were to pass the 30 percent threshold, according to U.K. law, he would be required to launch a formal takeover bid. The
candidates are the same two who were decisively rejected four months ago at a June board meeting: Phillipe Germond and Roger Hatchuel. A terse Aegis press release stated: "A meeting of shareholders
will be convened in due course."
