Tension Mounts Over Aegis

NEW YORK With the approach of the Aegis annual meeting on June 14, the war of words between the company’s board of directors and Vincent Bolloré heated up Friday.

First, Aegis notified shareholders that voting on all proposals at next Wednesday’s meeting would be conducted by formal polling of all shares, and not the less formal “show of hands” method often used at U.K. shareholder gatherings. The move was widely seen as an effort to help defeat a proposal by Bolloré to add two members to the Aegis board at the meeting.