The Italian Treasury on Wednesday appointed Flavio Cattaneo new CEO of the largest electric company in the country, In itand confirmed to claudio barefoot in front of the Eni oil group for an unprecedented fourth term.
Cattaneo, currently executive vice president of high-speed train operator Italo, succeeds Francesco Starace, who has led Enel since 2014 but has not found favor with the company’s inner circle. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloniwho took office six months ago.
Enel is one of the largest renewable energy companies in the world, with almost 60 gigawatts of installed capacity. However, under Starace’s tenure, the company has experienced a significant increase in its debt.
With Meloni determined to put her stamp on big state-controlled companies, the ministry also proposed Roberto Cingolani as chief executive of defense group Leonardo, unseating former banker Alessandro Profumo.
In a 2025 industrial plan presented in November, Enel pledged to sell assets worth 21,000 million euros (23.080 million dollars) to reduce its debt, and has since announced sales in Argentina, Romania and Peru.
Several shareholders had signaled to Rome that they did not want an abrupt change in Enel’s strategy, in particular a drastic reduction in the group’s international presence.
Some investors fear that Enel will be pressured by the government to focus on its domestic market.
Environmentalists have questioned Meloni’s commitment to energy transition after his government backtracked on some of Italy’s green commitments.
