International Council

EADS Concern is reforming its directorate

The European aircraft manufacturing concern EADS , apparently, intends to become Eurasian. At an extraordinary meeting of its shareholders, which will be held on October 22 in Amsterdam (one of the concern's management centers is located there), it is planned to resolve a number of issues regarding business restructuring and re-elect the board of directors. As the Financial Times Deutschland reported yesterday, shareholders will be asked to agree to the introduction of representatives not only from the UK, but also from India, China, and the Middle East (most likely the United Arab Emirates) to the board of directors. According to the publication, the new sole head of the board of directors of EADS, Rüdiger Grube, who was elected to this position until 2010, spoke about this recently at an event closed to the media. It is also reported that Mr. Grube has agreed with the French head of the board of EADS on a list that includes 20 candidates for the board of directors, including two women.

In mid-July, it became known that the shareholders - the founders of EADS - France and the Lagardere media group, as well as the German concern Daimler - decided to eliminate the German-French management of this enterprise on a parity basis. An important role in this was played by the meeting of the leaders of the two countries, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, in Toulouse, where the headquarters of Airbus, part of the concern, is located. Now, and again after the meeting Messrs. Merkel and Sarkozy, it became known that the board of directors of the European Aerospace Concern should become international.

The future composition of the EADS board of directors, according to Mr. Grube, reports the Financial Times Deutschland, will represent both new growth markets for the concern itself and the entire industry, as well as global investors. Thus, EADS management will become the most international among the top management structures of similar large global concerns specializing in aerospace technology. After all, for example, on the administrative council of the American concern - Boeing's competitor - all 12 seats are occupied by US citizens. By the way, there will be no Americans at all on the new EADS board of directors; It is believed that the US market will be sufficiently represented by Ralph Crosby, who is a member of the board of EADS and head of the American division of the concern.

Against the backdrop of this openness to global management and capital, EADS plans to resist hostile takeover attempts by foreign investors in the coming months. Earlier, it was officially announced about the possible introduction of a “golden share” at the enterprise, which will be at the disposal of the main shareholders of EADS. Even with a minimal stake in the concern, it will allow Germany and France to block any decisions made by a majority vote.

Yuri Shpakov, Berlin