The provision of services and advice in the fields of corporate management, human resources, marketing and communication, as well as the provision of services in the fields of taxation, fiduciary, finance and audit and accounting; the company may establish subsidiaries and branches in Switzerland and abroad, as well as hold participations in all companies in Switzerland or abroad, excluding participations in non-listed companies with a real estate purpose; within the framework of its purpose, the company may also acquire and hold Swiss real estate or shares in companies with a similar purpose and holding Swiss real estate, provided they have an exclusively commercial or industrial use; the company may also carry out all commercial, financial or other activities that are directly or indirectly related to the company's purpose; the company may carry out financing operations, grant loans to third parties and to group companies and direct or indirect shareholders of the company, and grant securities of any kind for its own commitments or for the commitments of the aforementioned companies vis-à-vis third parties, including pledges, security transfers and guarantees, even if these loans or securities are in the exclusive interest of the aforementioned companies and are granted without the company receiving remuneration in return, it being specified that any gratuitous alienation (i.e. except for dividends and liquidation or at the expense of freely available reserves) is prohibited; furthermore, it may conclude cash pooling contracts with other group companies.