Amsterdam: Airbus SE (stock exchange symbol: AIR) shareholders passed all resolutions at its 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM), including the appointment of Guillaume Faury as an Executive Member of the Board of Directors for three years.
At a Board Meeting immediately following the AGM, Guillaume Faury was formally appointed Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing outgoing CEO Tom Enders whose Board Mandate expired at the close of the AGM. Airbus announced last October that its Board of Directors had selected Faury, previously President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, as its next CEO.
“I’m pleased to welcome Guillaume Faury to the Board and am confident that as CEO he will successfully guide Airbus into the next decade,” said Denis Ranque, Chairman of the Airbus Board of Directors.
“Guillaume has exactly the right skill set and experience needed to take Airbus forward. Separately, I would like to thank Tom Enders for all his achievements during his time as CEO, including particularly the value created for our shareholders and the development of our Company to the benefit of all employees and the supply chain.”
“It’s a real privilege to take over as Airbus CEO and lead this outstanding company into the 2020s. I would like to thank the Board and shareholders for their trust. I look forward to working with our great teams and shaping the Airbus of tomorrow, to better serve our customers, increase our competitiveness, and grow in a sustainable way,” Guillaume Faury said.
Shareholders also approved the re-election of Non-Executive Board Members Catherine Guillouard, Claudia Nemat and Carlos Tavares for a period of three years. Hermann-Josef Lamberti informed the Board of Directors that he doesn’t wish to seek a renewal of his Board mandate at the 2020 AGM after 12 years as a Board Member and 11 years as Chairman of the Audit Committee. At the Board Meeting, it was decided that Catherine Guillouard will replace Hermann-Josef Lamberti as Chair of the Audit Committee while Jean-Pierre Clamadieu will join the Ethics and Compliance Committee with immediate effect.
Upon the recommendation of the Remuneration, Nomination and Governance Committee (RNGC), the Board has selected René Obermann to succeed Denis Ranque as Chairman of the Airbus Board of Directors when his current mandate expires at the close of the 2020 AGM. This succession was diligently prepared with the support of an external independent head hunter and the Board reached a decision after a thorough examination of all potential external and internal candidates. The Board, supported by the RNGC, has delivered – and will continue to deliver – a smooth succession at Board and Management levels.
The successor to Denis Ranque would be formally appointed as new Chairman at the post-AGM Board of Directors meeting in 2020. Airbus has previously said that Denis Ranque had requested to leave the Board to pursue other interests upon the end of his current mandate in 2020, when he will have served for seven years as Chairman.
“After a thorough review, the Board has selected a very capable successor to take over when I step down as Chairman next year,” said Denis Ranque. “Through his current role as a Board Member, René Obermann already knows Airbus well, while his entrepreneurial background and executive experience leading senior management teams brings the right competences and mindset. René’s expertise will also prove invaluable for Airbus’ strong technology focus and his appointment also maintains international diversity at Board level.”
René Obermann has been an independent non-executive Member of the Airbus Board of Directors since April 2018. He has served as a Managing Director of private equity house Warburg Pincus since 2015 and is also a Member of the Boards of Telenor ASA and Allianz Deutschland AG. Between 2006 and 2013, René Obermann was Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Telekom AG.
The proposed 2018 gross dividend of € 1.65 per share was approved at the AGM and will be paid on Wednesday 17 April. It represents a 10% increase over the 2017 payment.
