A step back spiced with “an unease” that she even defines as “mutual”. Sabrina Benetton surprisingly resigns from the board of directors of Atlantia, the holding company of Autostrade in turn owned 30% by the Ponzano Veneto family. Sabrina – who entered the board only a year and a half as a shareholder advisor to the controlling shareholder – represents one of the four branches by direct descent, being the daughter of the late Gilberto. His father has always dealt with Atlantia and its major infrastructure asset overwhelmed by the collapse of the Morandi bridge on 14 August 2018, becoming the main sponsor of the former CEO Giovanni Castellucci now under investigation for the collapse of the viaduct.
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Sources attribute the signal to this choice of Sabrina of a profound malaise with the current management of Atlantia which is negotiating with the consortium led by Cassa Depositi for the sale of 88% of Autostrade. It would be proof of a latent conflict within the family over the management of this process. Last November Enrico Laghi was called to mediate at the helm of Edizione – the Benetton holding company divided equally into four shares representing as many branches, who has the mandate to close an agreement with the consortium that enhances Autostrade at a reasonable price. Laghi is a man of great insights into Roman palaces, former extraordinary commissioner of Alitalia and Ilva, a great expert in insolvency procedures. His appointment was seen as a relaxing signal to the previous government to find an agreement that would definitively exclude the Benettons from the capital of Autostrade.
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Sabrina, who is close to her, has lived the last two yearsie half with great pain. The collapse of the bridge shook it from the depths. It was she, with the branch of Luciano and her son Alessandro, who asked (and obtained) the resignation of Gianni Mion, historically the man of synthesis of the Ponzano Veneto family, but more linked to the other two branches: that of Christian (son of the deceased Carlo) and Franca Bertagnin Benetton (daughter of Giuliana). It seems that Sabrina is tired of seeing her name associated with the Autostrade game.
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For some days there have been some rumors that they would question the current top management of Atlantia, that is the figures of Carlo Bertazzo and of the president Fabio Cerchiai. But their role is extremely complicated: they were mandated by the board to continue negotiations with CDP and the Blackstone and Macquarie funds. But at the same time, the other shareholders of Atlantia, including the combative Tci fund which holds 10% of the capital, must not disappoint the final offer at the shareholders’ meeting. However, the parties are still far from Autostrade’s assessment. This no longer seems bearable to her.
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