Boston, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/30/2007 --Downer & Company, LLC, an international investment banking firm specializing in middle-market cross border acquisitions and divestitures, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Emmanuel K. Wydooghe to Director in the firm’s Paris office, effective immediately. In his new role, Mr. Wydooghe will continue to advise clients worldwide on strategic merger & acquisition programs in a large range of sectors including food ingredients, childcare services, healthcare services, and electronics.

“We are delighted to promote Emmanuel to the position of Director,” said Ashley Rountree, Downer & Company Managing Director, Europe. “Emmanuel has risen through the ranks of our firm, moving from Analyst to Director in just nine years. He has made and continues to make outstanding contributions to the firm, including his recent work advising ABC Learning on the acquisition of Busy Bees from Gresham Private Equity,” concluded Mr. Rountree. Mr. Wydooghe also led the transaction team responsible for Barco NV’s recent divestiture of its Electronic Manufacturing Services and Prints activities.

Mr. Wydooghe worked in various industrial environments prior to embarking on his international advisory career with Downer & Company in 1998. He began his career as a commercial manager for UCB Transpac, an international company specialized in the manufacture of flexible packaging films for food and technical applications. He also worked in Hong Kong for IPEM, a Belgian investment company specialized in large-scale infrastructure projects, where he researched and negotiated port development projects in China and South-East-Asia. In addition, he led the start-up of an international technical textiles business.

Mr. Wydooghe holds a bachelor's degree in Commercial Engineering International Business from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and received a Master's degree in International Marketing of Advanced Technologies from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Grenoble, France. He is also a laureate of the Prince Albert Fund of Belgium. He is fluent in Dutch, French, English and German and has a good working knowledge of Spanish. Mr. Wydooghe resides in Paris, France.

About Downer & Company
Since its inception in 1975, Downer & Company, LLC, has gained distinction as a leading middle-market M&A firm focused on the execution of acquisition and divestiture mandates for international and domestic corporations and private equity firms. Downer & Company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and has offices in Paris, Dublin, Frankfurt and Sydney. Downer & Company received an award for transacting the “International Cross-Border Deal of 2004” and was recognized as the top Investment Banking Firm of 2003 by The Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor. Downer & Company's corporate headquarters are located at 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. The firm’s European headquarters are located at 32 bis boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris. For further information, visit www.downer.com.