It closes with a out of court settlement the dispute between Frances Amadori and the family business: a story that then gave further episodes and twists throughout the year. Francesca Amadori, the granddaughter of Francesco Amadori, the founder of the homonymous group, who covered the position of communication manager, in January 2022 was fired by the then CEO, Francis Berti. From there Amadori's granddaughter had challenged the provision and sued claiming that she had been discriminated against as a woman and had asked for compensation of 2,3 million. The economic terms of the out-of-court settlement reached yesterday, Monday 13 February, were not disclosed, but as explained in a note from the law firm that assisted the granddaughter of the founder of the poultry group: "the ongoing dispute found a consensual and positive conclusion" .
Amadori case: extrajudicial settlement between Francesca and the family business
"Yesterday the ongoing dispute between Francesca Amadori and the family business found a consensual and positive conclusion - Francesca's defense lawyers say, Luca Praised, Dominic Tambasco, Barbara Cortesi, Marco Praino, Andrea Cattaneo, Adele Santelia – Mutual availability has made possible an agreement that would allow, first of all, the protection of the company as the heritage of the family, employees and the whole community”. "The company wishes Francesca Amadori to be able to fruitfully embark on a different professional path, based on her 18 years of presence in the company, during which - reads the note - she has demonstrated competence and professionalism".
Amadori, a year of family turmoil: what happened?
It all started just over a year ago. When Francesca, on January 13, 2022, who held the position of communication manager of the group, after more than 18 years of work in the family business, she is "suddenly fired", the lawyers point out. The reasons, publicly declared by the then Ad Berti, and widely disseminated to the press, are for prolonged absenteeism from work. “The rules are valid for all employees without distinction”.
"Regarding the news concerning my person - Francesca specified - I would like to point out that in the 18 years of working at the family Group, I have always worked ethically and in the interest of the company, animated by the feeling of attachment which has always linked me to the company founded by my grandfather Francesco”. As for the dismissal, "I specify that I am evaluating the most appropriate initiatives to oppose a provision that I consider unfair and illegitimate and that does not concern the violation of any company rule, finding on the contrary a basis in other logics that will have to be verified in the appropriate fora".
The Amadori saga continues: the sisters sue the brothers
After that departure, the clash in court between Francesco Amadori's niece and the company's top management represented by family members intensified. Until even the daughters of Francesco, loretta e Patrizia (Francesca's aunts) who don't have operational roles, complain of inequality compared to their siblings Denis e Flavio (Francesca's father) who manage the Cesena group. The two women sued the companies "Francesco spa" and Finama Holding" chaired respectively by their Amadori brothers before the corporate court of Bologna due to a proposed corporate restructuring that he would have concentrated all the power in the hands of the men of the family, putting the sisters in a corner. Their father Francesco, when he left the leadership of the company, had divided the share package of the holding company that controls the whole group, Francesco Spa, into four quotas so that no one had an absolute majority: 27% each two males who carry on the company and 23% each to the two women, outside of company management. Last January, Flavio and Denis transferred their shares to a new company, the FDA (initials of Flavio and Denis Amadori) which now holds the absolute majority.
Amadori, meanwhile, has also changed the historic managing director who had worked in the group for almost ten years due to "differences with the owners". And the operational leadership of the company passed to Denis.
The first hearing, then the agreement
In December 2022, the first hearing was held at Court in Forli which opposes Francesca Amadori to her father Flavio Amadori, president of the group, and to her uncle, Denis, vice president of the iconic Romagna brand in the meat sector. The hearing was also attended – in support of Francesca – by the equality councilor of Emilia-Romagna Sonia Alvisi which highlighted, by analyzing the company's social balance sheet, strong gender disparity within the Amadori group. The niece of the founder of one of the major Italian companies in the agri-food sector requested 2,3 million euros in compensation for the damages suffered, while the group replied with a civil summons against her for 1,5 million, deeming that she had suffered image damage. The hearing in the case was postponed to verify the possibility of reaching an agreement between the parties before reaching the sentence. Agreement signed on 13 February 2023, shared by both parties which recognizes the skills of Francesca Amadori who in any case chooses to undertake new professional challenges for the future.
Amadori: attention to the "family passion"
This is not the first earthquake that has shaken the family structure of the Amadori Group. The company was founded in San Vittore di Cesena in 1969 by three brothers: Francesco, Arnaldo and Adelmo. But the brothers often argued until Arnaldo left the company (but his heirs are still inside) cashing in forty billion lire. He moved first to Africa and then to Brazil, where he died in 2017. Francesco remained in the company, with Germano Lucchi, friend and lifelong partner of the Amadori brothers. But in 2014 even the old friend left the poultry farm in a bad way and a legal dispute is still pending, which saw the first round in favor of Amadori, but which could end with an agreement before the appeal .
