Sorin Group Presents 2008-2010 Strategic Plan to the Financial Community



    Objective is to consistently deliver strong financial performance, achieving 17-18% EBITDA margin in 2010 and greater than 20% beyond 2010 while maximizing cash generation, through:

    -- The deployment of a new organization;

    -- The evaluation of alternative strategic options for non-core businesses;

    -- The implementation of cost reduction programs;

    -- A continuous commitment to patient-focused technological innovation;

    -- Mid single digit (3-5%) annual revenue growth. Guidance for 2008: greater than 11.5% EBITDA margin, greater than 5% EBIT margin.

    The Board of Directors of Sorin S.p.A. (MIL:SRN), meeting under
    the chairmanship of Umberto Rosa, approved today the 2008-2010
    Strategic Plan presented by the new CEO Andre-Michel Ballester. The
    guidelines of the Plan will be presented tomorrow to the financial
    community at the Sorin Group Analyst and Investor Meeting.

    The Plan will be implemented through a new organizational model
    and a reinforced management team. The guiding principles of the new
    Business Unit based structure are: clear accountability, fast
    decision-making, enhanced performance visibility and cost
    effectiveness.

    -- Franco Vallana is confirmed as Chief Scientific Officer.
    Franco, who has served in the company for more than 35 years,
    will focus on the Sorin Group´s key innovation initiatives;

    -- The Cardiac Rhythm Management Business Unit continues to be
    led by Fred Hrkac, who joined the Sorin Group in 2005 from
    Johnson & Johnson;

    -- The Cardiopulmonary Business Unit is led ad interim by Franco
    Vallana, and starting from February will be led by Michel
    Darnaud. Michel brings to the Sorin Group more than 30 years´
    experience in the medical technology industry, following
    international executive positions with Boston Scientific and
    Baxter. Michel is former Chairman of Eucomed, the European
    medical technology industry association;

    -- The Heart Valves Business Unit is led by Stefano Di Lullo, who
    joined the Sorin Group in 2005 from Boston Scientific;

    -- The Vascular Therapy Business Unit is led ad interim by
    Andre-Michel Ballester;

    -- The Renal Care Business Unit is led by Eric Beard, previously
    President Corporate International.

    Cost containment is an important driver of performance improvement
    across the entire organization. To this end, the Board of Directors
    approved today a specific set of restructuring initiatives that will
    yield annualized savings in excess of 20 million Euro (at full speed
    in 2010, but already significant in 2009), and for which an
    extraordinary charge of 18 million Euro will be recorded in 2007.

    Alternative strategic options are being explored for Vascular
    Therapy and Renal Care, and consequently the 2008-2010 Plan is focused
    on the three core businesses of the Sorin Group - Cardiac Rhythm
    Management, Cardiopulmonary and Heart Valves.

    The Cardiac Rhythm Management Business Unit is projecting a 7 to
    10% annual revenue growth - therefore exceeding market growth. The
    Sorin Group will continue gaining share in the High Voltage market
    (ICDs and CRT-Ds) thanks to a full pipeline of innovative technologies
    aimed at the fast growing Heart Failure segment. The Sorin Group is
    committed to continue to be a recognized leader in the haemodynamic
    management of heart failure patients. In Europe, the Sorin Group will
    consolidate its current Number 3 position in the Low Voltage market
    and target a 10% market share of the High Voltage market. In addition,
    the Sorin Group will reinforce its Number 3 position in Japan and
    aggressively pursue its expansion program in the US thanks to an
    enlarged sales organization and the launch of the Ovatio CRT device in
    H1 2008.

    The Cardiac Rhythm Management Business Unit will also achieve a
    significant reduction of its manufacturing lead time allowing an
    optimization of its inventory profile to improve cash flow generation.

    The Cardiopulmonary Business Unit will consolidate its current
    Number 1 world-wide position (with an estimated 40% market share) in
    this stable and profitable market, by confirming excellence in product
    and service delivery, further strengthening its quality leadership and
    driving market development through technological innovation. In
    particular, the company will launch during the next 3 years the
    component product and service offerings of the proprietary APOPS
    system designed to improve patient safety and procedure efficiency.
    The Cardiopulmonary Business Unit will generate profitable sales
    growth in the low single digit range and will be a key contributor to
    the acceleration of the Operating Cash Flow generation of the company.

    The Heart Valves Business Unit will pursue its US market
    penetration program following the recent commercial launch of its new
    tissue valve, Mitroflow. Thanks to its unique haemodynamic profile
    Mitroflow will become one of the valves of choice for surgeons in the
    US. In Europe, the Sorin Group will continue to gain share with a full
    portfolio of tissue valves and repair products. The Sorin Group aims
    at maintaining its leading global position in the mechanical valve
    segment. The resulting projected annual revenue growth is 4-6%,
    exceeding market growth particularly in the tissue valves segment
    where the company intends to gain share globally.

    The Heart Valves Business Unit will optimize its Cash Flow
    generation through an enhanced product inventory management program.

    The new management team is committed to consistently deliver
    strong financial performance, growing consolidated EBITDA margin to
    reach 17-18% in 2010, and above 20% beyond 2010. Gross margin
    percentage is planned to increase by greater than 100 b.p. per year,
    thanks to a favourable product mix, the launch of innovative new
    products at a premium price and several manufacturing cost reduction
    programs. SG&A, as a percentage of revenues, is planned to decrease by
    greater than 100 b.p. per year, thanks to a further streamlining of
    the G&A structure and to a reduction of management layers. R&D as a
    percentage of revenue will increase slightly, confirming the Sorin
    Group´s commitment to innovation and ensuring long term sustainable
    growth.

    During the Plan period (2008-2010), the Sorin Group is committed
    to an underlying annual revenue growth of 3 to 5%.

    The improvement in EBITDA, coupled with zero Working Capital
    increase and a tight Capex control, will generate in excess of 40
    million Euro of Operating Cash Flow by 2010.

    The management confirms the guidance previously given for the
    fourth quarter of 2007: revenues in line with same period last year,
    at fixed exchange rates, and EBITDA margin expected to recover from
    the third quarter and to be in line with the fourth quarter of last
    year.

    Guidance for 2008 indicates greater than 11.5% EBITDA margin,
    greater than 5% EBIT margin and revenue growth of 2-3% (at current
    business perimeter and comparable exchange rates), with Operating Cash
    Flow (before restructuring) in excess of 15 million Euro and a stable
    Net Financial Position.

    About the Sorin Group

    The Sorin Group (Bloomberg: SRN.IM; Reuters: SORN.MI), a world
    leader in the development of medical technologies for cardiac surgery,
    offers innovative therapies for cardiac rhythm dysfunctions,
    interventional cardiology and the treatment of chronic kidney
    diseases. The Sorin Group includes these brands: Dideco, CarboMedics,
    COBE Cardiovascular, Stockert, Mitroflow, ELA Medical, Sorin
    Biomedica, Bellco and Bellco-Soludia. At the Sorin Group 4,500
    employees work to serve over 5,000 public and private treatment
    centers in more than 80 countries throughout the world. For more
    information, please visit: www.sorin.com.