New York, USA — November 16th, 2012. Leeds Equity Partners, LLC ("Leeds Equity"), the largest private equity fund focused exclusively on investing in the Knowledge Industries, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Ex Libris Global Holdings, Inc. ("Ex Libris" or the "Company") to Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity investment firm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"Working together, the management team, led by Matti Shem Tov, and Leeds Equity were able to develop and execute on meaningful new growth opportunities through new product introductions, cloud-based solutions, geographic expansion and broader end market penetration. Our joint collaboration enabled the implementation of a long-term investment plan that allowed Ex Libris to accelerate its technological leadership within the industry and better positioned the Company to capitalize on emerging end market opportunities. Leeds Equity is very proud of the work accomplished by Matti and his management team and is confident that Ex Libris will continue to lead the industry going forward," said Robert A. Bernstein, Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director at Leeds Equity.
Jeffrey T. Leeds, President and Co-Founder of Leeds Equity Partners, said "Leeds Equity is very pleased to have had the opportunity to partner with Ex Libris' world-class management team. Matti Shem Tov and his colleagues have extraordinary vision, an ability to soundly execute strategy and the requisite work ethic to deliver results. We wish Matti and his team continued success as they continue to lead change in the industry."
"On behalf of the Ex Libris management team, I would like to thank Leeds Equity for its tremendous support and valuable guidance in helping Ex Libris solidify its industry leading position," said Matti Shem Tov, Ex Libris President and CEO. "In Leeds Equity, Ex Libris had a partner that both supported the Company's ongoing business activities, while also emphasizing investment in long-term, strategic initiatives which have meaningfully changed the Company's position in the industry. Under Leeds Equity's ownership, Ex Libris has become a stronger company with a leading product suite that is positioned for continued growth in the dynamic education and research markets."
Jefferies & Company, Inc. served as financial advisor and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel to Ex Libris for this transaction.
About Leeds Equity Partners
Leeds Equity Partners, LLC, is a New York-based private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in the education, training and information services industries (the "Knowledge Industries"). The firm was founded by Jeffrey T. Leeds and Robert A. Bernstein in 1993 and has raised and managed more than $1.1 billion of capital across five funds.
The Board of Advisors of Leeds Equity Partners includes, among others: Chairman General Colin L. Powell, former Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Dr. Barry A. Munitz, former Chancellor of the California State University school system and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust; Thomas F. ("Mack") McLarty III, President of McLarty Associates and former White House Chief of Staff under President William J. Clinton; Dr. Rod R. Paige, former Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush; Richard W. Riley, former Secretary of Education under President William J. Clinton and two-term Governor of South Carolina; Tim J. Fitzpatrick, the former CEO of Sallie Mae Corporation; and Timothy P. Shriver, Chairman of the Board of the Special Olympics.
For additional information on Leeds Equity Partners, see http://www.leedsequity.com/
About Ex Libris
Ex Libris is the leading provider of cloud-based and on-premise content and knowledge management software solutions for academic and research institutions. As the only distributor of a comprehensive suite of electronic, digital and print content management software, Ex Libris provides relevant products with robust functionality that serve both the current and developing content management needs of academic and research institutions. Ex Libris maintains an impressive customer base of over 5,000 institutions in 78 countries.
For additional information on Ex Libris, see http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/