A board of directors must formalize, on Friday, January 28, the appointment of the replacement of Stéphane Richard at the controls of the telecom operator.
by Olivier Pinaud
Christel Heydemann will pass in a few days of the shadow in the light. This 47-year-old polytechnician, who has never exercised so high functions, should officially become, Friday, January 28, the future Executive Director of Orange. It will replace Stéphane Richard, pushed to the resignation on November 24, 2021 as a result of his condemnation on appeal in the Tapie case. After Engie and very soon Veolia, the telecom operator will thus be the third group of the CAC 40 to be directed by a woman.
Originally scheduled Monday, January 24, the decisive board of directors was shifted as of January 28, confirmed the world several sources. “The name of Christel Heydemann is consensus, but some details are still resolved, including his date of arrival,” says one of them. Orange does not comment. Despite this offset of a few days, the deadline of January 31 set by the Minister of Economy, Bruno the Mayor, to find a replacement in Stéphane Richard, will be held. A question of principle for Bercy, but led to urgently conduct a highly sensitive process, at the risk of electrifying the atmosphere.
With 23% of Orange’s capital, making it the first shareholder of the group in front of the employees (7%), the state weighed with all its weight in the choice of the new leader. Responsible for the selection, the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors of the operator, chaired by Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronne, an independent director and a member of the Publicis Executive Board, felt dispossessed of his mission. After selecting six candidates, including Christel Heydemann, the three directors composing this committee had only two names: Frank Boulben, Current High Leader of the American Telecom Operator Verizon, and Ramon Fernandez, the Orange Chief Financial Officer.
The first, Polytechnician also and former orange setting then SFR, “had clearly favored the governance committee”, provides a source. But the state asked him to add a third name on his list: Christel Heydemann. And to properly pass the message, Bercy reported publicly, mid-January, that “equal skills, the minister [wanted] it was a woman who takes over the direction of Orange”. The Elysee, who had not yet auditioned M me Heydemann, was somewhat annoyed by the eagerness of the Minister of the Economy.
“The mandate entrusted to the Governance Committee at the time of the launch of the selection process left the state the opportunity to add the candidate of his choice on the list. It is legitimate that the first shareholder of a company that has 23% of the capital has this right “, justifies a close to Orange.
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