Saint-Gobain is shortly expected to announce the departure of Chief Operating Officer Christian Streiff, triggering a succession crisis at the French glass and building materials group, it was reporte…
Saint-Gobain is shortly expected to announce the departure of Chief Operating Officer Christian Streiff, triggering a succession crisis at the French glass and building materials group, it was reported in the Financial Times, citing sources close to the company. Streiff, who became the second-in-command at Saint-Gobain a year ago, is set to announce his resignation at a board meeting on 3 May 2005, according to sources. The move is a setback for the group as Streiff had been expected to move into the role that chief executive Jean-Louis Beffa will vacate when he steps down in June 2007, shortly before his 66th birthday, the Financial Times said. A replacement is now required for Streiff, who sources close to the group said had been “unanimously” rejected by senior executives as allegedly not being up to to the job since he became COO. “A good cardinal does not necessarily make a good pope”, a group insider told Le Monde on 2 May 2005. The favourite to replace Streiff is thought to be Claude Imauven, head of the construction products division. Other probable candidates include Jacques Aschenbroich, head of the flat-glass division, and Pierre-Andre de Chalendar, head of the building distribution arm.