Credit Lyonnais Americas Names Philippe Soustra Executive Vice President in Charge of Corporate Banking; Bernard Weymuller to Succeed Soustra as Head of Specialized Industries.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2001

Credit Lyonnais Americas, which encompasses all of Credit Lyonnais Group's commercial and investment banking activities in the United States and Latin America, announced today that Philippe Soustra has been named an Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee. In his new position, Mr. Soustra will oversee all corporate banking activities for Credit Lyonnais in the U.S.

Bernard Weymuller, who has been based at Credit Lyonnais in Paris, France, was named to replace Mr. Soustra as Head of Specialized Industries at Credit Lyonnais Americas and as a member of its Management Committee. Mr. Weymuller will supervise the real estate finance, lodging, media and telecommunications, energy, healthcare, transportation and project finance departments.

"I am very pleased to announce Philippe Soustra's promotion and to welcome Bernard Weymuller as part of our team," said Jean-Marc Moriani, Chief Executive Officer of Credit Lyonnais Americas. "Both men assume important positions in our organizations, and their broad experiences, I am sure, will greatly benefit our activities."

Mr. Soustra started his banking career in 1974 with Credit Lyonnais. Thereafter, for all but three years from 1979 to 1982 spent as head of the Corporate Group at Louis Dreyfus Bank, he has held a succession of positions with Credit Lyonnais, including Charge d'Affaires of Clinvest, Credit Lyonnais' Investment Banking Arm, first vice president and later senior vice president in the International Division, and Senior Banker in charge of global relationships with the Oil Majors and energy related groups worldwide. In 1984 he became vice president in charge of Mergers and Acquisitions with Credit Lyonnais USA, and returned to Credit Lyonnais Americas in October 1997 to assume the position from which he is now being promoted.

Mr. Soustra graduated from Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Bordeaux and from the University of Bordeaux Law School. He also holds a degree from the Centre d'Etudes Superieures de Banques in Paris.

For the past three years, Mr. Weymuller managed business development efforts in the Oil and Gas, and LNG business, having joined Credit Lyonnais after an 18-year career with The Chase Manhattan Bank in various managerial, corporate, and structured finance positions in Europe, Asia and the U.S. He is expected to move to the U.S. in early April.

Credit Lyonnais is a full-service worldwide financial institution with assets of approximately $200 billion and operations in more than 60 countries.