Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to see a woman at the helm of at least one of Italy’s state-controlled companies, as her government prepares to overhaul top management at some of the country’s largest firms.
(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to see a woman at the helm of at least one of Italy’s state-controlled companies, as her government prepares to overhaul top management at some of the country’s largest firms.
“The real challenge is to have the first female chief executive officer at a state-controlled company,” Meloni said at an event in Rome on Tuesday. “It’s one of my goals.”
Meloni’s right-wing administration will shortly be tasked with deciding on whether to retain or replace top management at several of the dozens of companies under state control.
Rome holds the biggest stakes in energy companies Eni SpA and Enel SpA, defense firm Leonardo SpA, postal operator Poste Italiane SpA and lender Monte dei Paschi de Siena SpA. Those companies combined account for around a fifth of the weighting on the benchmark FTSE MIB index.
The corporate appointments — a regular exercise for Italian governments — afford the premier a chance to shape the country’s business landscape in her coalition’s image, while also doling out lucrative jobs.
Meloni, Italy’s first female premier, was recently joined as the head of a major Italian party by Elly Schlein, who took over as leader of the main opposition Democrats last month.
Italian companies with female CEOs accounted for only 2.4% of the market value of the country’s listed firms as of the end of 2021, regulator Consob said in a report last year.
Most of the country’s state-controlled companies are likely to see management changes, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said last week, adding that Eni is likely to retain CEO Claudio Descalzi.
–With assistance from Chiara Remondini.
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