MILANO – Sabrina Benetton, Atlantia’s non-executive and non-independent director, resigned from the company. This was announced by the same group, explaining that on March 13 the manager resigned with immediate effect. This decision, as reported in the communication, “also matured in the light of the events (recent and less recent) relating to the subsidiary Autostrade per l’Italia and the inconvenience, including reciprocal, which, in consideration of the complex issues underlying them, my position as a major shareholder of the relative majority shareholder of the company, necessarily determines “.
Sabrina, daughter of Gilberto Benetton, joined the board of the holding about a year and a half ago, on October 31, 2019. “Dr. Benetton – reads the note from Atlantia – did not hold any roles in any of the board committees, did not receive any remuneration further than that envisaged for the office and does not directly own Atlantia shares “. Officially there have been no further comments, but for some time the financial reports have highlighted a certain misalignment between the Benetton family, a 30.2% shareholder of Atlantia through Edizione, and the board of directors of the listed company, precisely with regard to the future of Aspi. According to these rumors, the family was more sensitive to the need to turn the page, selling Aspi (owner of the motorway concession) while the managing director Carlo Bertazzo and the board generally seemed more attentive to the need, even legal, to protect the interests of all Atlantia shareholders, not accepting prices deemed too low.
Certainly Sabrina’s words refer to a position – also human – difficult to manage after the tragedy of the collapse of the Morandi Bridge, with its 43 victims. And the very long negotiations, which are still in progress, to sell Aspi have certainly been demanding and difficult. Just at the end of last week, the consortium led by CDP asked for an extension of the terms, from 16 to 27 March, for the negotiations. On the price and ancillary conditions, however, the parties still seem quite distant.
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