Time speeds up and tension rises. While Atos is engaged in the home stretch of negotiations with Daniel Kretinsky to sell him its outsourcing activities (Tech Foundations), with the hope of signing a definitive agreement before the end of December, the IT group is experiencing new frictions to his head.
Confirming information from Le Monde, Atos announced on December 6 the appointment of Carlo d’Asaro Biondo, current member of the board of directors, to a newly created position of “group general manager”. A nebulous title but which hides a perfectly clear mission: to keep an eye on Yves Bernaert, the general director, and on the group’s split plan. The functions of Carlo d’Asaro Biondo, who resigned from the board of directors, will range from business development to the operational performance of the entire group.
Since Yves Bernaert took charge of Atos at the beginning of October, relations have become strained with Jean-Pierre Mustier, himself appointed chairman of the board of directors on October 14, following the resignation of Bertrand Meunier, under pressure from shareholders. Yves Bernaert is suspected of playing a game that is a little too personal.
For several days, a battle has been playing out internally over the sharing of responsibilities and future commercial relations between Tech Foundations and Eviden, the cybersecurity and digital activities on which Atos will be refocused. Yves Bernaert will remain general manager. For some, the “separation and clarification plan of scope and responsibilities” of each of the two branches presented at the end of November by the general director is too favorable to Eviden. “These rules are supposed to be applied by everyone without compromise”insisted Yves Bernaert, in a letter addressed to executives, and they “will be included in our partnership agreement between Eviden and Atos [c’est-à-dire Tech Foundations] ».
Another sensitive point that creates tension: the final price that Daniel Krestinky will pay for Tech Foundations. Initially, this amounted to 100 million euros. An extremely small sum, but at the same time the Czech businessman took on 1.9 billion euros in financial commitments and had to inject a little more than 200 million euros into Eviden’s capital. The arrival, at the beginning of November, of David Layani in the capital of Atos to the tune of 9.9%, changed the balance of power. The group’s largest shareholder, the founder of the Onepoint company, immediately warned that he intended to revise the conditions of the agreement with Daniel Kretinsky so that Atos recovers more than 100 million euros. In exchange, he was released from his commitment to invest in Eviden.
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