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Babolat Hires New Regional Sales Managers

November 29, 2007

Boulder, CO –- Babolat, one of the leading manufacturers of tennis products, announces the company has tapped Mickey Maule (right) and Michael Lata (left) as Regional Sales Managers. Maule and Lata will oversee the Northern and Western regions of the country respectively.

Mickey Maule attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he competed in tennis then played on the professional circuit for a few years. Following a successful coaching career at Northwestern University, Maule transitioned to the business side of the tennis industry with Prince where he spent the last eight and half years, most recently as a territory manager. Maule is well known in tennis circles, having represented the US in 2005 as a member of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) 35-and-over World Cup team at the Italia Cup in Australia.

Maule is very active on and off the court – he still plays competitively (will enter 40-and-over in 2008) and volunteers for the USTA. Currently, Maule is vice chair of the Senior International Competition Committee. “I love the fact that this new position with Babolat will keep me active in grassroots,” says Maule. “I like being involved at the community level. I’m excited to join the Babolat team and look forward to growing the business.” Maule lives in the Minneapolis, MN, area with his wife, a 4.0 player, and four-year-old son who is already showing great promise on the court.

Originally from Connecticut, Michael Lata graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a degree in history and geography. However, it was his affinity for footwear that led him to Adidas where he worked for 11 years. Most recently he was responsible for general footwear sales at the regional level.

Lata’s expertise lies in tennis footwear. “I grew up playing football and basketball as well as tennis, so I appreciate the need for different shoes for different sports,” explains Lata. “I have a lot of respect for the Babolat brand and what they have done in creating shoes uniquely for tennis. Despite the long history of the brand, it’s a young name in the footwear industry, but it’s also a cool name. There’s a great deal of potential for Babolat in the footwear market.” Lata resides in San Francisco, CA, and plays tennis three times a week.

Olivier Bailliard, President and CEO of Babolat North America commented, “As you can imagine, Babolat conducted an extensive search for the most talented sales managers in the business. While we were looking for individuals with experience in the tennis and athletic footwear industries, they also had to be avid tennis players with a passion for the sport. Mickey and Michael will certainly be a great asset to the Babolat team.”

Maule and Lata will officially begin their new roles effective December 3, 2007.

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