Leclanché SA
Leclanché Concludes its Extraordinary General Meeting on January 12th 2024

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Leclanché Concludes its Extraordinary General Meeting on January 12^th 2024

• Mr. Lex Bentner was elected as Chairman of the Board
• Mr. Alexander Rhea remains ordinary Board Member
• Mr. Lex Bentner and Mr Abdallah Chatila were elected as new ordinary] Board members
• Mr. Bernard Pons resigned from the Board of Directors

YVERDON-LES-BAINS, Switzerland, 12 January, 2024 – Leclanché SA (SIX: LECN), one of the world’s leading energy storage solutions companies, announced the decisions by the Company’s shareholders on the proposals of the Board of Directors at its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held today at CEI – Rue Galilée 13, 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Meeting room: “Galilée”.

Mr. Alexander Rhea resigned from his position as Chairman of the Board while remaining a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Bernard Pons resigned from his position as a member of the Board. They were both thanked for their dedication and professionalism.

Mr. Lex Bentner and Mr. Abdallah Chatila have been elected as Board members and Lex Bentner has been elected as Chairman of the Board. They bring to Leclanché’s Board of Directors proven management experience in a wide range of companies and industries.

Mr. Lex Bentner, currently serving as the Head of Public Transport at the City of Luxembourg, plays a key role in transforming the city’s public transportation system. His primary focus is on transitioning the city’s bus fleet and network to an all-electric setup, achieved through EU-wide public tendering and procurement processes. Mr. Bentner also handles complex projects, integrating industry advancements into operational standards.

Throughout his career, he has worked at CFL, the Luxembourgish national railway company, and ArcelorMittal. In 2007, he was appointed Head of Continuous Improvement and Engineering at a Luxembourg-based steel plant, where he concentrated on modernization efforts. In addition to his professional roles, Mr. Bentner represents Luxembourg at the UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics) bus committee and is advising political leaders and national committees on workplace and industry best practices. Born in Luxembourg in 1978, Lex Bentner holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh and is currently pursuing an MBA at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School.

Mr. Abdallah Chatila, born in 1974, is a Swiss Lebanese entrepreneur and investor with over 28 years of experience, of which 15 years are in the real estate industry. A graduate of the Gemological Institute of Los Angeles, Mr. Abdallah Chatila began his professional career in the family high jewelry business in Geneva before transitioning into real estate. He is the President and founder of m3 GROUP, which employs over 700 staff members in Switzerland and France, generating a turnover of over 250 million Swiss francs. Presently, the group’s activities encompass real estate, hospitality, catering, banking, and healthcare sectors. Mr. Abdallah Chatila also holds significant expertise in M&A, having stakes in over 80 companies across healthcare, technology, and insurance sectors.

A thoughtful philanthropist, Mr. Abdallah Chatila actively contributes to the canton’s development through his philanthropic initiatives and private equity endeavors. He also supports various charitable organizations in Geneva, Lebanon, and the Middle East through his Sesam Foundation.

Mr. Lex Bentner, Chairman of the board of directors of Leclanché, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank Alexander Rhea for his service as Chairman of Leclanché, who has overseen a period of strategic realignment and hence a strengthening of our orderbook and pipeline and I am grateful for his continued service as a Board member.

“I would also like to thank shareholders and my fellow Board members for my appointment. I have faith in the market opportunity for Leclanché and believe we have the right team in place to build on the solid groundwork that has been laid as we look to execute on our growth strategy, grow our pipeline and order book in key sectors and generate value for its shareholders as the Company fosters future expansion.”

For more information, write to info@leclanche.com or visit www.leclanche.com.

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About Leclanché

Leclanché is a world leading provider of low-carbon footprint energy storage solutions based on lithium-ion cell technology. Established in 1909 in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Leclanché’s history and heritage is rooted in battery and energy storage innovation. The company’s Swiss culture for precision and quality, together with its production facilities in Germany, make Leclanché the partner of choice for companies seeking the very best in battery performance and who are pioneering positive changes in how energy is produced, distributed and consumed around the world. Leclanché is organised into three business units: energy storage solutions, e-Mobility solutions and specialty battery systems. The company currently employs over 350 people with representative offices in eight countries around the world. Leclanché is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: LECN).SIX Swiss Exchange: ticker symbol LECN | ISIN CH 011 030 311 9

Disclaimer

 This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Leclanché’s business, which can be identified by terminology such as “strategic”, “proposes”, “to introduce”, “will”, “planned”, “expected”, “commitment”, “expects”, “set”, “preparing”, “plans”, “estimates”, “aims”, “would”, “potential”, “awaiting”, “estimated”, “proposal”, or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of Leclanché’s production capacity, potential applications for existing products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché’s products will achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular financial results.

Contacts 

Media contacts: 

Switzerland / Europe:  
Thierry Meyer 
T: +41 (0) 79 785 35 81 
E-mail: tme@dynamicsgroup.ch 

Germany: 
Christoph Miller 
T: +49 (0) 711 947 670 
E-mail: leclanche@sympra.de 
 
Investor contacts: 
Pasquale Foglia / Pierre Blanc 
T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00 
E-mail: invest.leclanche@leclanche.com