Tim Hepher Amsterdam
AIRBUS Group ended the suspense over the future of its chief executive yesterday, saying its board had asked German-born Tom Enders to serve for at least one more term after his mandate expires in 2016.
Chairman Denis Ranque announced the move at the start of an annual shareholder meeting marked by continuing efforts by the plane maker to demonstrate political independence from its founding nations while trumpeting European integration.
Enders, who has led an overhaul in the Franco-German-led company’s structure, has been running the world’s second-largest aerospace group behind Boeing since 2012.
The meeting yesterday was expected to feature a tussle between Airbus and the Spanish government over the choice of a new board member, in a new test of Enders’ efforts to free the 15-year-old parent group from political influence.
Airbus Group, whose shareholders include the Spanish, French and German governments, was due to ask shareholders to approve the appointment of former IBM executive Maria Amparo Moraleda Martinez to replace Josep Pique i Camps, who is standing down.
But the Spanish government had written to the company to put forward the name of Belen Romana, the former head of Spain’s ‘bad bank’ Sareb, company officials said.
While Airbus maintains a board slot for Spain, the Madrid government no longer has the right to directly appoint its board representative, who is now designated as an independent under corporate governance changes negotiated in 2012. – Reuters