DLJ South American Partners Closes USD 300 Million Private Equity Fund

Business Wire, April 1, 2008

Fund will focus on opportunistic investments in Argentina, Brazil and Chile

NEW YORK -- DLJ South American Partners, a joint venture between a team of South America based investment professionals led by Carlos Garcia and Marcelo Medeiros, and Credit Suisse's Alternative Investments business, announced the closing of its first private equity fund targeting investment opportunities in Latin America, with a focus on Argentina, Brazil and Chile. The fund, which closed with USD 300 million in investment capital, seeks to capitalize on the attractive growth profile of the region.

Credit Suisse's Alternative Investments business, part of the Asset Management division, is one of the largest alternative investment managers in the world, with USD 147 billion in assets under management. DLJ SAP, formed in December 2006, is managed by a dedicated team of investment professionals in South America, led by Carlos Garcia and Marcelo Medeiros, who are based in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo, respectively. Mr. Garcia led the private equity investment efforts in South America for Credit Suisse's private equity affiliate DLJ Merchant Banking Partners from 1995 until the formation of DLJ SAP in 1996. Mr. Medeiros was responsible for managing the Brazil Private Equity Fund, a Brazilian fund established by Banco Garantia prior to Credit Suisse's acquisition of the bank in 1998. Together, Messrs. Garcia and Medeiros have more than 40 years of private equity-related experience in South America, and have completed investments aggregating more than USD 640 million during the last decade across a variety of industry sectors. In addition, Credit Suisse has more than 100 investment bankers and financial service professionals on the continent.

"Latin America remains a largely untapped region, rich with dynamic investment opportunities with significant growth potential," said Carlos Garcia and Marcelo Medeiros jointly. "We believe our unique relationships with local business leaders, coupled with our in-depth knowledge of the region's culture, will enable us to generate attractive returns for our investors. We look forward to successfully executing on our highly disciplined, opportunistic investment strategy and building on our strong performance track record in the years to come."

DLJ SAP has already completed three investments. The fund, together with other investors, created Arcos Dorados B.V. to acquire the master franchise of McDonald's restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean. DLJ SAP also acquired Fispal, the largest promoter of food and beverage trade shows in Brazil, and became the largest shareholder of EBEC, a leading educational company in Brazil.

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