FEMSA Signs Agreement with The Coca -Cola Company
Monterrey, Mexico, March 10, 2010 - Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. ("FEMSA") (NYSE: FMX, BMV: FEMSAUBD) announces that subsidiaries of FEMSA have signed an agreement with subsidiaries of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) to amend the Shareholders Agreement for Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Coca-Cola FEMSA") (NYSE: KOF, BMV: KOFL). The main purpose of the amendment is to set forth that the appointment and compensation of the chief executive officer and all officers reporting to the chief executive officer, as well as the adoption of decisions related to the ordinary operations of Coca-Cola FEMSA shall only require a simple majority vote of the board of directors. Decisions related to extraordinary matters (such as business acquisitions or combinations, among others), shall continue requiring of the vote of the majority of the board of directors, including the affirmative vote of two of the members appointed by The Coca-Cola Company.
These changes will be reflected in the by-laws of Coca-Cola FEMSA that shall be amended in the extraordinary shareholders meeting of Coca-Cola FEMSA to be held on April 14, 2010.
FEMSA is the leading beverage company in Latin America. It controls an integrated beverage platform that comprises Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the region; FEMSA Cerveza, one of the leading brewers in Mexico, with presence in Brazil, and an important beer exporter to the United States and other countries; and OXXO, the largest and fastest growing convenience store chain in Mexico with over 7,300 stores.