The appointment of José Vicente de los Mozos as the new CEO of Indra was born with controversy and without unanimity at the top. The independent director of German origin Axel Arendt, voted this Thursday against, as this newspaper has been able to know, not considering De los Mozos with an adequate profile and at the height to replace the outgoing CEO, Ignacio Mataix.

Losing the vote to the rest of the council, Arendt submitted her "immediate resignation." His departure adds upheaval to Indra as the only foreign director of the company and, in addition, a member of the Appointments Committee that has proceeded to the selection.

Arendt, 74, has been chief financial officer of Airbus and chairman of Rolls Royce and refuses to continue another minute at the company with Marc Murtra as chairman and De los Mozos as chief executive. De los Mozos has extensive professional experience, but not with the degree of knowledge of Mataix in the defense sector that Indra intends to bet on. It is, in addition to the same age as the outgoing CEO, despite the fact that the company hinted last March that it was leaving when necessary "a succession plan" and a relay that could make a strategic plan for the coming years. He thus implied that Mataix was leaving for reasons of age.

However, De los Mozos received the support of the other 13 members of the council who do appreciate his qualities to take the reins.

The resignation of Arendt so fulminating has provoked indignation in many counselors for his fright, according to sources close to the leadership of Indra. Especially independents, because the resignation of a veteran like Arendt weakens the credibility of the selection process.

The German has not lasted a year in office, because he joined last autumn within the new wave of independent directors to replace those who had been expelled in a maneuver by the Government and its allies to take control of Indra.

He must now be replaced by another independent director, unless the Government wants to modify agreements and give entry to a representative of the Amber group, led by the president of Prisa, Joseph Oughourlian, or the new shareholder, the Spanish industrial group Escribano.

Arendt had a reputation at Indra as a personal friend of Mataix. In its statement to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), Indra did not explain the reasons for Arendt's departure, although it must explain them by letter, following good governance practices. The company limited itself to informing the CNMV: "The Board of Directors has taken note of the resignation presented, at the same meeting, by the independent director Mr. Axel Arendt with immediate effect, thanking him for the services provided".

  • Indra
  • Ministry of Defence
  • Airbus
  • Operation Punic

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