GFKL FIN SERVICES NPV (BR) : will focus on its core business segments Collection and Software

- Leasing business being offloaded and focus moving to core business
segments Collection and Software
- Sale of loss-making leasing company in Spain concluded
- Corporate group uses exceptionally good start position in the
growth market of collection services

Essen, 11 November 2008. The Executive Board of GFKL Financial
Services AG has resolved that, in future, the Group will focus on its
core business areas of Collection (debt recovery / factoring) and
Software, both of which have demonstrated strong growth and large
margins to date. Around 1,500 people are currently employed by GFKL
in these two areas. Servicing receivables worth over 20 billion euro,
GFKL is already one of Germany's leading collection service
providers.

Explaining the GFKL Group's future orientation, Dr. Peter Jänsch
says: "Our Collection and Software divisions are enjoying annual
growth of over 30 percent and have a healthy profit margin of more
than 20 percent. By pulling out of the leasing business, liquidity of
around 150 million euro will be freed up, putting us in a position to
exploit growth opportunities in the profitable collection services
market even more in future. With the full backing of our shareholders
we can now put all our strength into acquiring further market share".

Factoring is also an important element of the collections service
business and is of strategic importance. In September 2008 Universal
Factoring GmbH was selected by WestLB AG as its factoring service
partner.

Dr. Peter Jänsch, Chairman of the Executive Board of GFKL Financial
Services AG, explains why the company has decided to shed the leasing
business: "Financial market conditions have changed so greatly that
they will have a lasting negative impact on our leasing business's
figures. At the same time, current shifts in the financial markets
offer specialised service providers such as GFKL particularly good
growth opportunities in collection services for banks and insurance,
GFKL's main clients".

Dr. Jänsch says that, furthermore, because of the pressure it is
putting on the balance sheet the leasing business is also affecting
GFKL's equity and is therefore restricting future growth in the more
profitable business areas of Collection and Software.

The previously announced sale of the loss-making leasing business in
Spain has already been concluded. GFKL's Spanish subsidiary,
Seville-based Universal Lease Iberia with 100 employees and a fleet
of around 15,000 vehicles, has been sold to ING Car Lease Spain.
Explaining the reasons for the sale Dr. Jänsch says: "GFKL was
operating the business in Spain with open residual values - renting.
Today, unlike a year ago, these residual values have to be
underpinned with so much equity that continuing the business was no
longer cost-effective for GFKL".

GFKL will also be shedding the German leasing activities of its
subsidiary Universal Leasing GmbH. Negotiations are currently
underway with a potential buyer with regard to a large part of the
German leasing business (southern and western regions). The leasing
business in the northern and eastern regions, which employs around 50
people, will be discontinued by the end of the year. Speaking about
this decision Dr. Jänsch said: "We are responding to the worsening of
the refinancing situation in the capital markets. Existing credit
agreements will all be met and the existing leasing business will
continue to be managed as before over the next few years, but new
business will be discontinued gradually up to the end of the year".

The Executive Board intends to sell further leasing business in the
Netherlands and the UK by the end of the year.

At present it is not possible to make any precise forecasts of the
Group's annual results. For 2008 overall we are expecting a very
positive operational result in the core business areas of Collection
and software.

About GFKL Financial Services AG
GFKL is a financial services provider for modern collection services
with the divisions Collection and Software. The Group's expertise in
the debt recovery segment ranges from the trust management of
commercial and credit receivables through to evaluating, taking over
and handling personal loans and mortgages. Servicing receivables
worth over 20 billion euro, GFKL is one of Germany's leading debt
recovery providers. In the area of technology, GFKL offers modern
software solutions for the entire bank lending process and all links
of the insurance value chain, rounded out with solutions for
automatic collection procedures for industry and the public sector.

Press contact:
Katrin Schwarz
Head of Group Communication
and Investor Relations
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]-462
E-mail: [e-mail]
Internet: www.gfkl.com


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