NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 29th November 2007 -- The Mercator Group, an Executive Search consultancy headquartered in Paris, France, becomes a member of Gow & Partners World Team as its Paris office and continues the growing trend for the firm.

Founded in 1993 by François Carn in Paris and the late Thomas H. Ogdon in New York, The Mercator Group as a whole brings together an outstanding seasoned  team specialized in executive search at senior corporate management levels. The Group works for international client companies with whom it establishes and maintains confidential and long-term relationships.

“We are delighted to join Gow & Partners World Team and will bring our French touch and professionalism to the Group,” said François Carn from Paris. “Cross fertilization inside a high level team is of great value for our clients, who will find local sensitivity in their international field of developpment,” added Bénédicte Brouard.

François Carn is a qualified lawyer – Law degree from Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne School of Law and alumnus in Economics and Finance from "Institut d'Etudes Politiques" (Paris). Originally a member of the American law firm of Coudert Frères in Paris, he worked subsequently in industry as a legal adviser to CBS. He now has 25 years' experience in executive search of which twelve were acquired in the Paris, London and New York offices of Russell Reynolds Associates, a leading international executive search consultancy. His knowledge and experience are particularly valuable in the areas of General Management, Finance, Corporate Administration and Legal Counsel.

Bénédicte Brouard  holds a degree in History from the Sorbonne University and two master's degrees in Management and Political Science from the Paris Dauphine University and the Institut d‘Etudes Politiques of Paris. She is also alumni of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale. At Sonepar, a world leader in electrical wholesaling, she was initially Director of External Relations (including Finance, Purchasing, Sales, and Development) and then Executive Vice President. At the beginning of 2000, she helped accelerate the growth of a number of mid-sized firms and start-ups, and in 2002 she founded B-REF, a consulting firm. She has sat on the Investment Committees of both Lafayette International and Aurinvest. A corporate player with a strong international background, she is member of the executive board of the “Comité National des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France”, after being president for 11 years of the Parisian Committee. She joined the Mercator group in the summer of 2006.

“The addition of a strong practice in France is a significant development in the expansion of our World Team,” commented Roddy Gow. “I have known Francois Carn for many years and we welcome him and his associate Benedicte Brouard as colleagues.”