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Tag: Ashok Kurien

  • NCLT gives Zeel time till 22 Oct to file reply to Invesco plea

    NCLT gives Zeel time till 22 Oct to file reply to Invesco plea

    Mumbai: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Friday gave Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) time till 22 October to file its reply to a plea by its shareholder, according to a report by PTI. The decision was taken after the company approached National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) which declared that ‘reasonable and sufficient opportunity’ should be given to Zeel to respond to the investor’s plea.

    Zeel had approached the appellate body challenging the NCLT order dated 5 October which asked the company to submit its reply to the investor’s demand for calling an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) by Thursday.

    The NCLT hearing had been deferred to Friday after the NCLAT reserved its order on the plea until later in the evening on Thursday.

    Zeel two top investors Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC who combined own 18 per cent stake in the company had sent a requisition notice to Zeel on 11 September to call an EGM even after two weeks, the investors moved to NCLT, citing provisions of Company Law, according to which the company is bound to call for an EGM within a specific number of days, if stakeholder demanding it owns more than 10 per cent of the company.

    The investors had also sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the Chandra family from the board. The two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani have already submitted their resignations.  

    The investors moved to have six nominees appointed to the board of Zeel, which included Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srnivasa Rao Addepali and Gaurav Mehta as independent directors of the board for a term up to five consecutive years. The notice was received by Zeel on 12 September, and it informed the stock exchanges on 13 September, adding that the appointments are subject to approval by the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B).

    Last week, Zeel refused to conduct the EGM citing ‘shareholders interest,’ and moved to Bombay high court seeking to declare the requisition notice as ‘illegal and invalid.’

  • NCLAT reserves orders on Zeel’s appeal

    NCLAT reserves orders on Zeel’s appeal

    Mumbai: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday reserved orders on an appeal moved by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel). The company had challenged the 5 October order by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on the matter of requisition for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The requisition notice was moved by top investors at Zeel including Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund IIC. 

    Meanwhile, the NCLT which was slated to take up the application for an EGM on Thursday at 2:30 p.m, has decided to adjourn the hearing until 2:30 p.m on Friday after hearing that NCLAT had reserved its order.

    On 5 October, the NCLT had given Zeel two days to file its counter-affidavit to the applications before it. The bench had declined to give more time to file this response opining that it was a simple matter that did not need weeks for a reply to be filed. This order was challenged by Zeel before the NCLAT.

    The NCLAT bench has informed that the order on Zeel’s appeal would be pronounced and issued later on Thursday. The bench said that they would not be deciding the case on merits, but would peruse all NCLT orders passed in the matter to take a call on Zeel’s appeal, according to a report by Bar and Bench.

    Counsel for Zeel argued that the case before NCLT was only at an interim stage and was converted into a final hearing without giving the company suitable time to respond. Counsel for Invesco argued that there was no distinction between interim relief and final relief in the present case and that “the appeal should be rejected at all costs as it is an abuse of process of court,” according to Bar and Bench.

    Zeel’s boardroom tussle began on 11 September, when the company’s top two investors – Invesco and OFI China Fund IIC which together hold an 18 per cent stake in the media company, sent it a requisition notice calling for an EGM of shareholders. The investors sought the removal of Zee’s sitting managing director Punit Goenka and two independent directors Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani. The two independent directors had submitted their resignations a day prior. The investors had also sought the appointment of their own six nominees on the board of Zeel.

    Zeel had challenged the requisition notice stating that it is “invalid and illegal” and had moved to the NCLAT for a hearing.

  • ZEE Entertainment Board comes out in support of former directors Ashok Kurien & Manish Chokhani

    ZEE Entertainment Board comes out in support of former directors Ashok Kurien & Manish Chokhani

    Mumbai: The Board of Directors of ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) on Thursday came out in support of two of its former non-executive directors, Ashok Kurien and Manish Chokhani amid “allegations made by certain proxy advisory firms” against them.

    Both Kurien and Chokhani had submitted their resignations to the Board earlier this week. The decision came at a time when two of ZEEL’s top investors – Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC – which together hold around 18 percent of the stake in the company, sent a special notice demanding the removal of Punit Goenka, Manish Chokhani, and Ashok Kurien as directors in an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). 

    In its media statement, the Board stated that it strongly condemns the allegations made against its former members, who had decided to step down from the Board due to their personal reasons and to pursue their interests beyond the confines of a boardroom. 

    “Speculations disparaging the contribution of the said non-executive directors of the Company are baseless and arise out of an inadequate understanding of the industry. Decisions taken by committee members and the Board of Directors of the Company are being wrongly attributed to individual directors without any basis,” stated the Board. “ZEE is immensely grateful to both Kurien and Chokhani for their contribution towards the Company. Their guidance to the leadership team has been valuable, enabling ZEE to touch newer heights and deliver greater value to all its stakeholders year on year.”

    The Board also highlighted that the interest of the shareholders has always been paramount for the Company under their mentorship, and it remains committed to maintain the highest standards of governance and transparency.

    ZEEL chairman R Gopalan said, “As someone who sowed the seeds of ZEE, Kurien played a key role in steering the Company to newer heights with his contribution arising out of deep understanding and knowledge of the Media Industry. His vast expertise of 35 years in the industry has been instrumental in building ZEE as a leading entertainment brand and a creative content company not only in India but across the globe. As one of India’s most respected financial experts and investors, Chokhani’s astute management skills coupled with his analytical abilities have been of tremendous value to the Board. Chokhani has always been steadfast in his support towards ZEE and has guided the leadership team to higher success by setting new standards of performance excellence.”

    The Board also lauded their contribution in the overall process of Board reconstitution, with the induction of eminent Independent directors. “The reconstituted Board will continue to ensure highest compliance practices and governance and set the benchmark for management accountability and transparency to further enhance the value of the Company” read the statement.

  • Investors seek removal of Zee TV board directors

    Investors seek removal of Zee TV board directors

    Mumbai: Invesco Developing Markets Fund and OFI Global China Fund LLC, shareholders of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) have sought the removal of long-standing directors and close associates of the Chandra family from the Board.

    Both Invesco Developing Markets Fund (formerly Invesco Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund) and OFI Global China Fund LLC hold equity shares, which represent an aggregate of 17.8 per cent of the paid-up share capital of the Company. The change of guard comes two years after Oppenheimer bought the mortgaged shares of banks when Chandra defaulted on loans from banks.

    In a special notice sent under Section 169(21 read with Section 115 of the Companies Act, 2013, the investors have sought the organisation of an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of shareholders to remove Punit Goenka, Manish Chokhani, and Ashok Kurien as directors.

    Both Chokhani and Kurien have held the positions since Zee TV’s inception, and have resigned with immediate effect. While Kurein was a member of the CSR committee and Stakeholders committee of the Board, Chokhani was a member of the nomination and remuneration committee and risk management committee.

    The investors have also sought the appointment of Surendra Singh Sirohi, Naina Krishna Murthy, Rohan Dhamija, Aruna Sharma, Srinivasa Rao Addepalli, Gaurav Mehta as independent directors on the board for a term of up to five consecutive years.

    “The board of directors of the Company is requested to take all necessary action to call for and conduct the extraordinary general meeting, as requisitioned by us, in accordance with applicable law, including Sections 100, 101, and 102 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Rule 23(3) of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules, 2014,” the notice read.

    However, all the appointments are subject to the approval of the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B).

  • Advertising icon and philanthropist Ashok Kurien turns 70

    Advertising icon and philanthropist Ashok Kurien turns 70

    MUMBAI: “Life is a circus and I’ve been the clown,” is what Ambience boss and advertising icon (one of the pioneers  of private satellite TV in India as a founders of Zee TV and, now a committed social philanthropist) Ashok Kurien is known to say. And it was this belief of his that inspired the theme for his seventieth birthday party, planned and executed by Trinity Entertainment & Strategic Consultant.

    “The Circus of Life” celebrations marked the beginning of a new year in the life of Kurien, was one of the most enthralling evenings of the decade, it was uniquely planned and executed as an ode to his creativity. From an OTT pop up card announcing the Circus of Life theme to the OTT red-carpeted giant circus tent straight out of a kid’s fantasy, circus rings, aerialists, stilt walkers, jugglers, unicyclists, clowns, multiple photo-opts, a giant lion and a giant Ashok Kurien clown-like sculpture of his face, it was astounding but oh so colourful. Everywhere one looked on Friday evening, performance artistes and acrobats were putting on a spectacle never seen before.

    But what no one had expected was the wave of nostalgia that collectively swept over the evening. In retelling his life in the form of songs and dance, Kurien gave his friends an unexpected reliving of their own lives with music that touched the soul. From jazz standards to an Elvis impersonator; Choir songs, risqué rugby ditties; and a straight retro set which included numbers that ranged from ‘Bing Crosby to Boney M to Bruno Mars, and from Engelbert to Enrique’, most of the baby boomers (now senior citizens) were raving on the dance floor, with all elements seamlessly integrated into a story showcasing key milestones in Ashok’s life.

    The planning of the event started way back in September 2019 which gave the team at Trinity Entertainment & Strategic Consultants enough time to understand and break down each aspect of his life and do justice to it. Ashok’s first statement to the team was “Can you fly me out of a cannon” and that’s when it was sure that this celebration would be something that the city will always remember with Ashok being the key orchestrator!

    “I got to script my life story (and all my fantasies),” said Kurien the next day, adding “I hope it gave all of us the chance to relive our childhoods and become kids again”. Creating a magical experience for the guests, each one had a smile on their face. Attended by those closest to him, the guests were left mesmerised by the sheer scale and attention to detail.

    Close to his heart, the event also had another side to it that was so full of love that it made everyone's heart melt. Ashok and his wife Rachel Wawn are so deeply committed to corporate social responsibility and empowering the disfranchised, that they paid for an extra day and kept the entire set up intact so that they could host 350 underprivileged and challenged children for a circus show over lunch the next afternoon. Talk about making a wish on a birthday! Pictures from the lunch are a brief peek into Wawn and Kurien dancing joyously with the children, demonstrating that however OTT and grand one makes one's celebrations, the joy can be multiplied exponentially if we include the less fortunate. Will others who host such celebrations take a leaf out of Kurien’s progressive and thoughtful example? Could this be a (welcome) trend henceforth? We all definitely hope so. “If it even inspires a few others to do the same, think of what a thing it could be,” the delighted Ashok said.

    It’s safe to say, Ashok Kurien really has raised the bar. And big props to Trinity Entertainment for pulling off what seemed like one of their most magnificent projects ever.

    Ashok Kurien, a legendary stalwart of the advertising space in India is also the co-founder of Zee Entertainment Television and many other major ventures. Accredited with the iconic ‘Taste The Thunder‘ campaign for Thums Up, he is a man who has contributed immensely to the creative world. Words cannot do justice to his achievements and accomplishments and his reputation and passion for his work precede his name at all times.

  • Essel chairman pays tribute to India’s official language on ‘Hindi Diwas’

    Essel chairman pays tribute to India’s official language on ‘Hindi Diwas’

    NEW DELHI: On the occasion of Hindi Diwas on Wednesday, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Chairman, Essel Group, Subhash Chandra engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with eminent Hindi Poet and renowned scholar, Ashok Chakradhar on the ‘Present Status of Hindi: Challenges and Solutions’ at the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi.

    The Hindi edition of Chandra’s autobiography ‘The Z Factor – My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time’ was launched by the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Chief Guest, Kailash Satyarthi.

    Chandra said, “English cannot replace Hindi as the language of communication in this country. In India, the language of the common man is Hindi and will continue to remain so. Over the years, by adopting words from various languages, the Hindi language has become rich and is growing on its own strength. Today, Hindi is spoken and understood all over the globe.”

    “If our higher education system is imparted in Hindi or the mother tongue, we can create more experts in every field. For example, in Ludhiana, there are uneducated but skilled workers, who, if they were given education, would do even better,” Chandra added.

    Chakradhar said, “It is not correct to say that we are serving the Hindi language, rather we should be saying that we are working for the Hindi language. Hindi has reached its highest levels and in coming years, it will continue to grow even further. To keep the purity of this beautiful language, scholars from the literature community should be mindful of not misusing Hindi words or using English words deliberately”.

    Satyarthi said, “The mother tongue of a person is the most respected and no other language can take it away. Hindi and English are separate languages which are not competing with each other. However, to leave one’s own mother tongue and speak disrespectfully about it, is a shameful act. We should be open to learning all languages but should not criticise our own mother tongue. I remember when I went to receive the Nobel Prize, I purposely spoke in Hindi.”

    From the book:

    It was 14 December 1991 when Ashok Kurien of Ambience ad agency and I reached Star TV’s office in Hong Kong. There were ten to twelve senior and junior executives in the room. Richard Li, head of Star TV, was not there. So we waited awhile. It was like waiting for the king to come in and give his blessings.

    Richard walked in suddenly and sat opposite me. ‘OK, Indian channel…
    Hindi channel. Where is the money in India?’ Richard was very dismissive. ‘I am not interested in a joint venture.’

    So I addressed him directly. ‘Mr Li, if you are not interested in the joint venture, can you consider leasing the [satellite] transponder to us?’ ‘There is no transponder available for less than $5 million per year,’ Richard said. It was a haughty statement to put me off.

    ‘That is fine. I will pay $5 million!’ It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I did not realize the implication of what I had said…

  • Essel chairman pays tribute to India’s official language on ‘Hindi Diwas’

    Essel chairman pays tribute to India’s official language on ‘Hindi Diwas’

    NEW DELHI: On the occasion of Hindi Diwas on Wednesday, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Chairman, Essel Group, Subhash Chandra engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with eminent Hindi Poet and renowned scholar, Ashok Chakradhar on the ‘Present Status of Hindi: Challenges and Solutions’ at the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi.

    The Hindi edition of Chandra’s autobiography ‘The Z Factor – My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time’ was launched by the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Chief Guest, Kailash Satyarthi.

    Chandra said, “English cannot replace Hindi as the language of communication in this country. In India, the language of the common man is Hindi and will continue to remain so. Over the years, by adopting words from various languages, the Hindi language has become rich and is growing on its own strength. Today, Hindi is spoken and understood all over the globe.”

    “If our higher education system is imparted in Hindi or the mother tongue, we can create more experts in every field. For example, in Ludhiana, there are uneducated but skilled workers, who, if they were given education, would do even better,” Chandra added.

    Chakradhar said, “It is not correct to say that we are serving the Hindi language, rather we should be saying that we are working for the Hindi language. Hindi has reached its highest levels and in coming years, it will continue to grow even further. To keep the purity of this beautiful language, scholars from the literature community should be mindful of not misusing Hindi words or using English words deliberately”.

    Satyarthi said, “The mother tongue of a person is the most respected and no other language can take it away. Hindi and English are separate languages which are not competing with each other. However, to leave one’s own mother tongue and speak disrespectfully about it, is a shameful act. We should be open to learning all languages but should not criticise our own mother tongue. I remember when I went to receive the Nobel Prize, I purposely spoke in Hindi.”

    From the book:

    It was 14 December 1991 when Ashok Kurien of Ambience ad agency and I reached Star TV’s office in Hong Kong. There were ten to twelve senior and junior executives in the room. Richard Li, head of Star TV, was not there. So we waited awhile. It was like waiting for the king to come in and give his blessings.

    Richard walked in suddenly and sat opposite me. ‘OK, Indian channel…
    Hindi channel. Where is the money in India?’ Richard was very dismissive. ‘I am not interested in a joint venture.’

    So I addressed him directly. ‘Mr Li, if you are not interested in the joint venture, can you consider leasing the [satellite] transponder to us?’ ‘There is no transponder available for less than $5 million per year,’ Richard said. It was a haughty statement to put me off.

    ‘That is fine. I will pay $5 million!’ It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I did not realize the implication of what I had said…

  • ‘Writing such a book can be risky but it is in Dr Subhash Chandra’s nature to take risks:’ PM Modi

    ‘Writing such a book can be risky but it is in Dr Subhash Chandra’s nature to take risks:’ PM Modi

    NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today described Essel Group founder and chairman Dr Subhash Chandra as a person who has never been afraid of taking risks.

     

    Releasing Dr Chandra’s autobiography The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time, Modi said that writing such a book can be risky, but it was in Dr Chandra’s nature to take risks.

     

    “Writing a biography is daunting task. It is commendable that Subhash Chandra has accomplished that so soon. It is also challenging to keep everyone in mind when writing a biography, which makes penning down an autobiography even more risky. But taking risk is second nature to Subhash ji, and this very nature is possibly also responsible for his success in life. I haven’t read the book yet due to time constraints and being out of touch with the habit of reading but plan to do so soon,” Modi said.

     

    Additionally, he also stressed on Dr Chandra’s efforts in caring for the weaker sections of society. Modi tweeted, “Released @_SubhashChandra ji’s book, ‘The Z Factor.’ Spoke about his work for weaker sections of society.”

     

    He added that he always urged students to read biographies. “Whenever I meet students I ask them to read biographies of great personalities as it bring them closer to the history and events of a time and helps them understand it better.”

     

    The Prime Minister also said that he appreciated Dr Chandra’s community service initiatives, particularly in the field of education.

     

    Modi also recounted some anecdotes about his earlier interactions with the media giant and thinker.

     

    Dr Chandra in his opening speech thanked a host of people like Purushotam Gupta, Vijay Dhar, Rajendra Mittal, Gulshan Sachdeva, Rajan Issac, Ashok Kurien, India TV chairman Rajat Sharma, TV9 managing editor Ravi Prakash, Vijay Jindal and his former colleague Pradeep Guha, who have been with him through this journey in the industry.

     

    He also thanked ANI editor-in-chief Sanjeev Prakash and ANI news editor Smita Prakash, who he said taught him what “news” was and at the same time also learnt the same from him.

     

    Recalling an incident from his younger days, when he demanded a Fiat car from his father, which was then priced at Rs 16,000, Dr Chandra said that he fulfilled that dream at the age of 21 when he bought a second-hand Fiat car with his own money. “What I mean to say is that if there is focus and determination, then you can achieve success in life,” he said.

     

    Saying how he had now slowly distanced himself from the business of making money and handed over the reigns to his brothers and sons, Dr Chandra said that he often told them to work in such a way that would always benefit the country and its people. 

     

    The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time has been written by Dr Chandra along with Pranjal Sharma.

     

    Recalling how he came to know of Dr Chandra, Prime Minister Modi recounted his early days as a party worker when he was introduced to Dr Chandra’s father Nand Kishore Goenka, who gradually connected the two.

     

    The panelists for the event were M J Akbar and Vallabh Bhansali, who interacted with Dr Chandra at the launch session. Also in attendance were India Today founder and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie and COO Kalli Purie,  India TV chairman Rajat Sharma and top-notch politicians like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh amongst others. From the entertainment world, actors like Anupam Kher and Akshay Kumar were in attendance.

     

    The book is published by Harper Collins and will be available in stores from 21 Januaryonwards. Additionally, it is already available on Flipkart and Amazon India for pre-orders.

     

    The book promos, event updates, and excerpts will also be available on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

     

    Dr Chandra revolutionised the Indian television industry by launching the country’s first satellite Hindi channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel, Zee News.

     

    Dr Chandra has diversified business interest across various sectors like television, newspaper, cable, direct-to-home, satellite communications, theme parks, online gaming, education, flexible packaging, infrastructure development and multiplexes.

  • ‘Writing such a book can be risky but it is in Dr Subhash Chandra’s nature to take risks:’ PM Modi

    ‘Writing such a book can be risky but it is in Dr Subhash Chandra’s nature to take risks:’ PM Modi

    NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today described Essel Group founder and chairman Dr Subhash Chandra as a person who has never been afraid of taking risks.

     

    Releasing Dr Chandra’s autobiography The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time, Modi said that writing such a book can be risky, but it was in Dr Chandra’s nature to take risks.

     

    “Writing a biography is daunting task. It is commendable that Subhash Chandra has accomplished that so soon. It is also challenging to keep everyone in mind when writing a biography, which makes penning down an autobiography even more risky. But taking risk is second nature to Subhash ji, and this very nature is possibly also responsible for his success in life. I haven’t read the book yet due to time constraints and being out of touch with the habit of reading but plan to do so soon,” Modi said.

     

    Additionally, he also stressed on Dr Chandra’s efforts in caring for the weaker sections of society. Modi tweeted, “Released @_SubhashChandra ji’s book, ‘The Z Factor.’ Spoke about his work for weaker sections of society.”

     

    He added that he always urged students to read biographies. “Whenever I meet students I ask them to read biographies of great personalities as it bring them closer to the history and events of a time and helps them understand it better.”

     

    The Prime Minister also said that he appreciated Dr Chandra’s community service initiatives, particularly in the field of education.

     

    Modi also recounted some anecdotes about his earlier interactions with the media giant and thinker.

     

    Dr Chandra in his opening speech thanked a host of people like Purushotam Gupta, Vijay Dhar, Rajendra Mittal, Gulshan Sachdeva, Rajan Issac, Ashok Kurien, India TV chairman Rajat Sharma, TV9 managing editor Ravi Prakash, Vijay Jindal and his former colleague Pradeep Guha, who have been with him through this journey in the industry.

     

    He also thanked ANI editor-in-chief Sanjeev Prakash and ANI news editor Smita Prakash, who he said taught him what “news” was and at the same time also learnt the same from him.

     

    Recalling an incident from his younger days, when he demanded a Fiat car from his father, which was then priced at Rs 16,000, Dr Chandra said that he fulfilled that dream at the age of 21 when he bought a second-hand Fiat car with his own money. “What I mean to say is that if there is focus and determination, then you can achieve success in life,” he said.

     

    Saying how he had now slowly distanced himself from the business of making money and handed over the reigns to his brothers and sons, Dr Chandra said that he often told them to work in such a way that would always benefit the country and its people. 

     

    The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time has been written by Dr Chandra along with Pranjal Sharma.

     

    Recalling how he came to know of Dr Chandra, Prime Minister Modi recounted his early days as a party worker when he was introduced to Dr Chandra’s father Nand Kishore Goenka, who gradually connected the two.

     

    The panelists for the event were M J Akbar and Vallabh Bhansali, who interacted with Dr Chandra at the launch session. Also in attendance were India Today founder and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie and COO Kalli Purie,  India TV chairman Rajat Sharma and top-notch politicians like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh amongst others. From the entertainment world, actors like Anupam Kher and Akshay Kumar were in attendance.

     

    The book is published by Harper Collins and will be available in stores from 21 Januaryonwards. Additionally, it is already available on Flipkart and Amazon India for pre-orders.

     

    The book promos, event updates, and excerpts will also be available on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

     

    Dr Chandra revolutionised the Indian television industry by launching the country’s first satellite Hindi channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel, Zee News.

     

    Dr Chandra has diversified business interest across various sectors like television, newspaper, cable, direct-to-home, satellite communications, theme parks, online gaming, education, flexible packaging, infrastructure development and multiplexes.