Vincent Bolloré surprises everyone during the Vivendi annual assembly held today in France. In the setting of the Olympia theater in Paris, the manager announced his intention to propose his son Yannick, current president of the Havas advertising group, as chairman of the supervisory board of Vivendi instead of him.
Shortly after the announcement, the supervisory board of Vivendi, following the shareholders' meeting, unanimously appointed Yannick Bolloré as president in place of his father Vincent. The board confirmed Philippe Bénacin as vice president. The shareholders' meeting approved the distribution of a dividend of 0,45 euro per share, equal to an increase of 12,5%.
“It's the last assembly I'm presiding over. Space must be left for young people - said Vincent Bolloré during the meeting - I will propose to the supervisory board that the appointment of Yannick Bolloré to the presidency of the board will be held shortly", said Bolloré, saying he did not want to do like King Louis XIV that in the end, having reigned for 50 years, he had left the kingdom to his great-grandson and not to his son.
Bolloré will however remain at the head of the homonymous family group, the first shareholder of Vivendi with 23% of the capital and 29,9% of the voting rights. The same company also owns around 8% of Mediobanca's capital.
On the sidelines of the same meeting, the Vivendi spokesman responded to the note published today by Elliott, containing a harsh attack against the French. "Elliott has short-term strategies and wants to dismantle all the dossiers he has entered into in Europe, he doesn't have a 'love affair' with Italy".
