Italy names new Enel CEO to succeed Starace

Italy’s ministry of economy and finance on Wednesday proposed new top management at partly state-owned utility group Enel SpA (BIT:ENEL), including the successor of CEO Francesco Starace.

Flavio Cattaneo, currently serving as executive vice-president of high-speed rail operator Italo - Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori SpA, has been nominated to replace Starace, who has been the CEO of Enel for three terms since May 2014. Paolo Scaroni, Enel CEO in 2002-2005, is set to come back as chairman this time.

The ministry of economy and finance owns a 23.59% stake in the utility.

In Wednesday’s shake-up, the ministry also named new leadership of defence company Leonardo SpA and Italy’s postal service Poste Italiane SpA, but kept Claudio Descalzi as the CEO of oil-and-gas group Eni SpA (BIT:ENI).

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said after the announcement that the new appointments were “the result of a careful process of evaluating skills and not affiliations”.

Cattaneo’s wide-ranging career includes top posts at Telecom Italia SpA, transmission grid operator Terna SpA and energy company A2A.

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