After the post and the SNCF, the governance puzzles begin again in public companies. According to the information of BFM Business, the presidents of Engie and Orange wish to remain in their position next year. The mandates of Jean-Pierre Clamadieu and Jacques Aschenbroich reach their end in the spring of 2026. The two leaders wish to renew it, but for that, they must change the statutes of the groups. In fact, the president of Orange will be reached by the age limit of 70 years and that of ENGIE for the age limit of 69, in 2027.
In recent weeks, the administrators of the two groups have been testing the position of the State. And the response of the State Participation Agency (APE), which has 23.6% of ENGIE and controls 23% of Orange (through 9.6% of BPIFRANCE) is clear: “At the moment, it does not,” guarantees several sources close to the two groups.
Contacted by BFM Business, Bercy didn’t want to comment.
“Orange fears a parachute of the State”
Meanwhile, Orange’s Board of Directors is preparing for the replacement of its president. The head hunter Brigitte Lemercier had the mandate of selecting profiles. Jacques Aschenbroich seemed ready to give way to Gilles Grapinet, Orange administrator for two years. But the former Worldline chief suffered the collapse of the payments specialist, whose stock market course was divided into 10 between 2021 and his departure, a year ago.
His profile barely pleases the public sphere, especially in Bpifrance, shareholder of Worldline.
Engie’s president hopes to stay a year
In the absence of a tenant in Bercy, the extension of Engie president is also pending. Jean-Pierre Clamadieu is looking for a third term, after being appointed in 2018. But the age limit of 69 years prevents him from staying beyond 2027. Several administrators pushed him to go back as is the case in other companies whose state is a shareholder, such as Safan (75 years), Renault (72) or Air France-KLM (75).
Meanwhile, a new profiles investigation process has also been launched, with the help of the Hedrick & Fights recruitment firm. Contacted, the two groups did not want to comment.
In both cases, there are few possibilities that the general directors: Cacatina MacGregor in Engie and Christel Heydemann in Orange- are promoted by CEO. The State remains favorable to the dissociation of functions in companies that are quoted in which it is a shareholder, unlike SNCF, EDF or the post.
Source: BFM TV
