The recent resignation of the Managing Director, Rodolphe Belmer, places the president, Bertand Meunier, on the front line. Shareholders ask for his departure.
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The presentation, on June 14, of the new strategic plan by Rodolphe Belmer, general manager who resigned and disavowed by his board of directors less than six months after his arrival, was too much. Since then, the ATOS shareholders, the European number two IT services, did not take off against a stock market course divided by two in three weeks. According to information from the world, several of them wrote to the board of directors to request the departure of the president, Bertrand Meunier. “We have never seen a plan presented by a managing director on the start precisely because he does not agree with this plan”, ton Frédéric Genevrier, co -founder of OFG Research, an analysis company which Advise major investors on business governance issues, for whom “the responsibility of the Council, and in particular that of Bertrand Meunier, who presides over, is immense. Everything comes from there”.
“Discussions with shareholders are confidential”, replies Bertrand Meunier, while not surprising that “in a period like the one that Ausos knows, the questions are more numerous. How could it be otherwise? “. The president of Atos evokes a “permanent dialogue with the shareholders, whether small or large” and says they answer “questions from investment funds with the greatest seriousness to bring them the lighting that they did not “.
Having become president of Atos at the time of departure, in November 2019, at the European Commission of the former CEO, Thierry Breton, Mr. Meunier finds himself on the front line in the face of criticism. The choice of Rodolphe Belmer, debauchery of the general management of Eutelsat, to take the head of the group in January without internal selection process caused waves in the group.
Edouard Philippe attentive the situation
Several important executives have left the house. This choice also surprised outside and fueled divorce with advice. During the General Assembly of May 18, the shareholders expressed their discontent by voting at 31.6 % against the luxurious remuneration package granted by the Council to Mr. Belmer: 2.4 million euros in annual remuneration (fixed and variable), more clauses of starting and non-competition compensation, which can represent up to three and a half years of annual remuneration. Mr. Belmer agreed to reduce his starting allowances, compared to two years authorized, an amount of 1.8 million euros. Its non-competition clause will not be activated.
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