(Finance) – “They won’t hide the emotions of the momentbecause it is a important moment in my life, as I am leaving a company where I have worked for 23 years and which has given me so much. I want to greet all the colleagues with whom I have shared struggles and successes, and defeats from which we have learned so much. I thank the shareholders for their support and trust, for the criticisms you have addressed to us. I want to thank all the members of the board of directors and union councils who have followed one another over the years, who have contributed to the growth of the company”. Francesco Starace, CEO outgoing of Is in theduring the shareholders’ meeting. According to the president’s initial report, 65% of the share capital is present at the meeting. The Treasury has 23.6% of the capital, while Blackrock is at 5%.
“The energy transaction represents one of the most important challenges of our time – he added – At the beginning we were farsighted and we were also defined as visionaries, but we believed in it. But we know that it is neither the first nor the last of the industrial transformations that we have before us”. “I want wish every possible success to the new board, the president and the chief executive officer“, he said in closing speech.
Analyzing the performance of the business, he said that “i 2022 results went beyond expectations and demonstrated the adequacy of managerial decisions. The 2022 performance is well set to underpin future performance and give adequate visibility. The strategic advancement program continued on track. Enel is therefore able to ensure a growing future despite the turbulence“. “The expected dividend per share in 2024 and 2025, equal to 0.43 euros, is a base and could be increased”, he specified.
Enel is “nella better placed to accelerate Europe’s energy transition than fossil fuels“. “We are aware that the fight against climate change is not limited to an ambitious plan – which in the case of Enel envisages a goal of zero emissions by 2040 – but to be consistent in a series of actions, such as consistency of investments, governance on climate-related issues and adequate reporting – he continued – The clarity of our emissions reduction targets has been recognized by investors”.
Starace has focused a lot on the strategic repositioning of the group. “Since 2014 we have followed a repositioning and simplification strategyespecially on two fronts: in Latin America with very complex actions and in Eastern Europe with a difficult disengagement. We are now concluding this simplification effort, which is entering its final stage: in 2022 the simplification strategy allowed us to value assets for 5.9 billion euro and, in particular, we were the only energy operator that really came out of Russia“.