Safilo: new entry in the board of directors

During the last meeting, on March 24th, the Boards of Directors of Safilo SpA and Safilo Holding SpA voted to appoint Carlo Gilardi as a member of the board following the resignation of Dino Tabacchi.

An expert on North-East Italy and a leading figure in Italy's economic and financial world, Carlo Gilardi, a graduate in statistical and demographic sciences from the University of Rome La Sapienza, has accumulated vast experience at the highest levels within the Bank of Italy, Banca di Roma, Cofiri and Benetton Group, serving as its Cfo at the time of the stock exchange listing and, more recently, as Chief Executive Officer of the Group based in Ponzano Veneto.

For many years he was President of Aiote, now Assiom, and is currently a member of the Advisory Board of St. John's University in Rome, as well as a Director of Banca di Treviso.

'We are extremely pleased to welcome Carlo Gilardi to the Boards of Safilo SpA and Safilo Holding SpA in the certainty that his personal and professional contribution will help us to expand our business throughout the world', declared the Chairman of Safilo, Vittorio Tabacchi, on closing the Board meetings during which the financial statements for 2003 were also approved.