Telecom Italia chairman quits in row with Pirelli shareholder
Telecom Italia SpA chairman Guido Rossi has resigned from his post following a prolonged falling out Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera. Vice chairman Carlo Buora will take on Rossi’s operational responsibilities.
On April 6 Rossi told Italian media that Tronchetti Provera asked him to take over as chairman last September as he wanted Rossi to get him out of an awkward position. Italy’s government was questioning Tronchetti Provera’s decisions regarding alliances and selling parts of the company, and according to Rossi, Tronchetti’s position “seemed unrecoverable.” However, Rossi claims that when he tried to clear up the conflicts of interest that existed between Tronchetti and Telecom Italia, the two men entered on a collision course.