Controversy over the salary of Henri Proglio at Thales – Les Echos

Controversy over the salary of Henri Proglio at Thales – Les Echos

The remuneration of Henri Proglio would divide the state and Dassault.
On average, in the CAC 40, a non-executive chairman won 433,180 euros.

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Appointment Henri Proglio to the new function of non-executive chairman of Thales is anything but plain sailing. The general meeting, which was to endorse the new governance at the head of the aerospace group, defense and security, had to be postponed sine die (“Les Echos” of 28 January). Behold questions about big money just seize the procedure. According to “Le Monde”, the former CEO of EDF would claim 400,000 euros per year, an amount that would be added to a supplemental retirement 720,000 euros per year for his career at Veolia. The state would be willing to let go of that 140,000 euros. “Mr. Proglio is very greedy” , laments a source in the executive cited by the newspaper, who pay such a sum is not an option for non-executive Chairman of a company whose main shareholder is public (the state owns just under 27% of the capital, Dassault Aviation to 25.5%). “The figures are correct,̶ 1; , is it confirmed the “echoes”.

Call for restraint

Dassault, which has still not digested to have been presented with a fait accomplished when the government decided to secretly smuggle Jean-Bernard Lévy Thales EDF – where he replaced a … Henri Proglio – will probably do everything to defend her foal. “With his experience, 400,000 euros, it is no exaggeration” , stands near the aircraft manufacturer.

It all depends on perspective. Since the presidency of François Hollande, the state has repeatedly called for wage moderation. In June 2012, it peaked at 450,000 euros salary patterns in public enterprises. Proglio hit that amount as executive chairman at EDF. This is not all. Before last summer, the government requested a 30% drop in fixed paychecks in companies of which he was a minority shareholder.

To reconcile their positions, both Thales shareholders might refer to a recent study by Proxinvest on the subject. According to the proxy advisory agency in the CAC 40, the average earnings of a non-executive chairman under the 2013 spring 433,180 euros; the median is 316,255 euros. Among the highest paid, Baudouin Prot, who left the presidency of BNP Paribas in December 2014. Under 2013, he hit 1.2 million, nearly three times the average. Also in the Top 3, Serge Weinberg, Sanofi. He touched 708,040 euros. This is followed by Jean-René Fourtou, chairman of Vivendi’s Supervisory Board (until June 2014), with 700,000 euros. Bottom of the rankings included Danièle Ricard, Pernod Ricard (110,000 euros), and Philippe Camus, Alcatel-Lucent (200,000 euros).

Under 2014, the ranking is likely to evolve. Franck Riboud, who has been replaced Danone managing director Emmanuel Faber, could happen in the lead. If he abandoned his variable, it has doubled its fixed remuneration of 1 to 2 million euros.

Note

A general meeting of Thales in May, the state voted against the resolution on the salary of Jean-Bernard Lévy, CEO, to assert its principled position against the granting of a hat retirement.

Laurence Boisseau, Les Echos

Alain Ruello, Les Echos