TELUS Announces Baring Private Equity Asia to Acquire 35 Per Cent Stake in TELUS International

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA–(Marketwired – May 5, 2016) – TELUS International has reached an agreement with Baring Private Equity Asia (“Baring Asia”) for it to acquire a 35 per cent stake in TELUS International. The agreement values TELUS International at approximately US$1 billion, with TELUS shareholders retaining a 65 per cent interest in the business. In alignment with the company’s top priority of delivering client service excellence, TELUS intends to retain a long-term majority ownership position in TELUS International.

“We are excited to welcome Baring Asia’s entire team to the TELUS family. With Baring Asia’s close to 20 years’ exceptional experience developing and growing companies through insightful, strategic counsel, a strong Asian market presence and an extensive global network, we have found the right partner for TELUS International,” said Jeffrey Puritt, TELUS International President.

“I could not be more proud of our 22,000 TELUS International team members; today is the culmination of a decade long exercise in grit and determination, of an unwavering commitment to our vision to be the leading brand ambassador of customer experience innovators, redefining the global outsourcing industry through our spirited teamwork and caring culture; and it is the beginning of the next chapter in our story, as we look to amplify the volume and velocity of our efforts and accomplishments with the support of our new partner, Baring Asia,” added Mr. Puritt.

Launched by TELUS in 2005, TELUS International has become a leading global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services to industry leaders across the telecommunications, utilities, high tech, gaming, finance, retail, e-commerce, travel and logistics, and health care sectors. TELUS International has more than 22,000 team members located in the United States, Philippines, Canada, Europe, and Central America serving clients in more than 35 languages. The TELUS International team is a division of TELUS, Canada’s fastest growing telecommunications company. As such, it is part of TELUS’ unique corporate culture that has delivered the highest employee engagement in the world for a company of its size and composition, and earned a reputation for having the best customer service of any major national carrier.

Jean Eric Salata, CEO of Baring Asia, commented: “In TELUS International, we see a strong company with best-in-class services which has successfully developed from a captive provider to a leading market player serving diverse customers. With an exceptional team, a portfolio of top-tier customers in fast-growing industries, and a strong global footprint, we believe that the company is in a great position to build on its past successes and establish its position as a leading international player in the space. We aim to leverage our footprint and cross-border capabilities to further enhance TELUS International’s client portfolio and help expand its market presence. TELUS is a highly regarded institution with a strong corporate culture of giving back to the community, and we are proud to be partnering with them.”

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions. Rothschild acted as sole financial advisor to TELUS for this transaction.

About Baring Private Equity Asia

Baring Private Equity Asia is one of the largest and most established independent alternative asset management firms in Asia, with a total committed capital of over US$10 billion. The firm runs a pan-Asian investment program, sponsoring management buyouts and providing growth capital to companies for expansion or acquisitions, as well as a pan-Asian real estate private equity investment program. The firm has been investing in Asia since its formation in 1997 and has over 125 employees located across seven offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, and Tokyo. Baring Asia currently has over 35 portfolio companies active across Asia with a total of 150,000 employees and sales of approximately US$31 billion in 2015. For more information, please visit www.bpeasia.com.

About TELUS International

TELUS International is a global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services with more than 22,000 team members around the world, including in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America and Asia. With over 175 million customer interactions supported annually via voice, email, chat and social media, across the telecommunications, utilities, high tech, gaming, finance, retail, e-commerce, travel and logistics, and health care industries, TELUS International enables customer experience innovation through spirited teamwork, agile thinking, and a caring culture that puts customers first. As the global arm of TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU), TELUS International is backed by a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with US$10 billion of annual revenue and 12.4 million customer connections.

At TELUS International, we give where we live, following the demonstrable example set by TELUS which along with its team members and retirees, has contributed US$350 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and provided more than 6.8 million hours of volunteer service to local communities since 2000. TELUS had the immense honor of being named the Most Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation in the world in 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company ever to receive the prestigious global distinction. TELUS International has leveraged the innovative model created in 2005 by TELUS’ President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, and has four Community Boards across the globe that guide our donations and actions in support of local charitable organizations. Additionally, TELUS International holds days of giving across the countries we operate in every year, and in 2015, over 7,000 of our team members volunteered in activities such as building schools and homes for underprivileged fellow citizens.

For more information, please visit www.telusinternational.com.

TELUS Forward-looking statement:

This news release contains statements about expected future events, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the proposed purchase by Baring Asia of a stake in TELUS International. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Company to make assumptions and predictions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that the conditions to closing of the transaction will be satisfied, that the associated benefits of the transaction for TELUS shareholders and customers will be realized or that growth plans for TELUS International will be realized. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual future events, including capital expenditures, to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, this news release is subject to the disclaimer and qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and risk factors referred to in the 2016 first quarter Management’s discussion and analysis and in the 2015 annual report, and in other TELUS public disclosure documents and filings with securities commissions in Canada (on SEDAR at sedar.com) and in the United States (on EDGAR at sec.gov). Except as required by law, TELUS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.

For TELUS International:
Wyatt Jefferies
404-460-9166
[email protected]

For Baring Private Equity Asia:
Newgate Communications
Richard Barton
+852 3758-2686
[email protected]