By Elvira Pollina, Angelo Amante and Giuseppe Fonte MILAN/ROME, April 9 (Reuters) - Italy's government is leaning towards naming Lorenzo Mariani as the new chief executive of Leonardo, four sources
Italy replaces Cingolani with Mariani at Leonardo, confirms Eni's Descalzi
By Elvira Pollina, Angelo Amante and Giuseppe Fonte
Leadership Changes in Major Italian State-Controlled Companies
Leonardo: Mariani Replaces Cingolani
ROME/MILAN, April 9 (Reuters) - Italy on Thursday proposed to appoint Lorenzo Mariani as the new chief executive of defence group Leonardo, replacing Roberto Cingolani, a Treasury statement said, confirming an earlier Reuters report.
Cingolani's Tenure and Departure
As widely expected, Rome also proposed reappointing Claudio Descalzi and Flavio Cattaneo at the helm of energy groups Eni and Enel, respectively.
Cingolani failed to obtain a second term despite overseeing a surge in orders and revenues at the state controlled group and clinching a number of partnerships with European rivals since he took the helm in 2023.
Leonardo's share price, which more than quadrupled under Cingolani's watch, fell this week as reports circulated over his possible ouster, amid rumours that he had fallen out of favour with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni has not responded to opposition calls to explain media reports suggesting she was poised to remove Cingolani.
Mariani's Background and Appointment
The management change at Leonardo came as the group competes for business in the defence and aerospace sector, with governments worldwide increasing military spending amid the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
Mariani, who had a past experience as a Leonardo executive, currently serves as managing director for Italy at missile maker MBDA, which is jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo itself.
He was widely cited as a possible head of Leonardo back in 2023, but lost out to Cingolani.
Political Dynamics and Other Appointments
Horse Trading in State-Controlled Firms
HORSE TRADING
Nominations at state-controlled companies typically involve protracted and at times fraught discussions between political leaders, with rival factions jockeying for influence and names often changed at the eleventh hour.
Eni: Descalzi's Reappointment and Challenges
At Eni, the fresh three-year term starting in May this year will allow Descalzi, 71, to extend his reign as the company's longest-serving head.
Future Challenges for Eni
One of the challenges for the energy group and its top management in the next three years will be to support growth at its new units and make sure that returns promised to investment partners are delivered, analysts said.
Eni has also faced strong criticism from environmental groups over its involvement in fossil fuels and their contribution to global warming.
Other Key Appointments
Giuseppina Di Foggia, currently chief executive of power grid operator Terna, will be appointed new chairman of the energy major, the Treasury said in its statement.
Igor de Biasio will lead air traffic controller Enav,, replacing Pasqualino Monti, who two sources said would be appointed at the helm of Terna later this month.
Paolo Scaroni, a former CEO of both Enel and Eni, secured another term as Enel chairman, the Treasury said.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, Elvira Pollina and Giuseppe Fonte, editing by Gavin Jones)
