Telecom Italia CEO Expects Up to 5B Gain After Grid Sale

You’ve had a couple of minority shareholders with big voices saying, look, they’ll vote against this. There’s concern going forward. Are you +100% positive that the deal will go through? Yes, I’m on, I’m 100% confident because in any case, if you look also to the alternative, none of them is saying that we have to block the deal. So it means that everybody are confirming that that this deal is the only way to give a strategic and industrial new opportunity to our company and to solve once and forever the debt issue. So I’m very confident about that and and I know you’ve defended even on this program, of course the, the industrial sense of the deal. Are you also confident that this will be wrapped up by the summer? Yeah, but sure. And it’s not only me we confirm, but also KKR gave a confirmation to the market that everything is on track. But I think that is very, very important to stress that this is also an industrial deal and not only the solution of the financial constraints of the group. And if you look all around Europe, you are starting to see that there are also other player that are evaluating the breakup by two of the company dividing infrastructure from services because these are two different business models that are getting two different paths of group. I mean this is a world premiere and I know again you’ve said this makes sense and could unlock you know future. It could be a template for for other companies. But earlier this week we had leading proxy advisors such as ISS, but also Glassley was recommending that investors actually vote in favour of renewing the current board on April 23rd. Are you confident that that means that other players that are more reluctant will fall in line and agree with them? Yes. I think that what was stated by ISS Inglas Lewis, it’s important both in absolute terms because it’s a confirmation of the good job that we did in the last two years because we are discussing today. But these are long shot that we started at beginning of 2022 and we did a great activity to explain why it was the right path in the second in the. But this is important also in relative terms because ISS August Lewis try to compare the alternative to this plan. At the end of the day, what they state is that it’s better to stay on the right track of a project that started two years ago. Yeah. And you also have the full backing of the Italian government now. If you look at Telecom Italia shares, they’re still at a quite a big discount compared to peers. Why are shareholders reluctant to to buy the stock as much as you think they should? But in any case, if you know our stock was a stock that that also in the last year a lack of trust by the market also because in the last 14 years our company was able to achieve the targeted guidance only five times. We are trying to recover the trust from the market because in the last two year for the first time after 14 years, we were able to achieve in two consecutive years the guidance. But in any case, as you were mentioned, these are premier. What we are doing is something different from what happened in the past. And so everybody said the window to try to understand that what will happen. It’s clear that there is this kind of difference from the past innovation that can hurt someone. And in the meantime also the fact that in the past we didn’t deliver what we promised is putting some people on a kind of witnessing solution. Then it’s clear that also there were some rumours in the market that the deal with KKR should be delayed. And it gave to a lot of people some fears related to the fact that if it will be delayed there could be some issue. But to keep everybody in a more safe area, we release a press office, some man explaining that we are on track. And in any case, we don’t foresee any kind of issue. Also in the case of possible delay that we don’t foresee, we are very confident. So basically, yeah, but Mr. Abias, so basically you’re not saying that they’re not buying the equity story, is that they’re either worried, right, investors that this will be delayed. And so question mark on what happens or they’re actually worried about the execution of the deal. And this is something that you’ll have to prove going forward. But I don’t have to accept to you that continuity is something that is very important for the market, certain that there would be a lot that are at the window waiting for the General Assembly to see that everything proceed and there’s no discontinuity. But this is not me. This is what also was stated that by ESS, Egras Lewis explaining that the continuity is what guarantee the best for the company. And if you are a shareholder, sometimes we are in the middle of April, you can wait 10 days to see what’s happened to the General Assembly. So it has nothing to do with the industrial story. It’s something different from the reality talking a little bit about the investor from Merlin. So this is one of the main opponents to the the re election actually of the board. Something else that they put in the line is that you should sell Telecom Italia’s Brazilian unit. This is something that generates a lot of cash. So what do you make of that proposal? It’s two years since arrived. Everybody was saying to sell Brazil. If I’ve been sold Brazil at the beginning today I should face the issue about the shareholder that should ask me why we under sold Brazil. If we look so at the industrial story and then we’ll talk about the financial aspect, the industrial story, Brazil after the sale of the network will be 45% of our ABDA after lease. So it will be an important component of a well balanced portfolio of activity with Brazil that is a cash cow in enterprise that is a fast growing business and consumer that is a business that must be the structure and merge with someone. So why we have to sell the Brazil losing this well balanced situation. If you look at the financial point of view, everybody are forgetting that we have on the table five, €5 billion upside that can come from they are now from the sale of the net, the sale of Sparkle and the last also the litigation with the Italian government. So if you have the opportunity to get €5 billion of oxide, why have to sell an asset That is an important element in the industrial story. This is what they don’t understand. So you’re telling me that’s, yeah, so that so you’re telling me that’s a no. Do you think you’ll be able to get them on side by April 23rd? And the same questions also for Vivendi that’s not opposing the deal, but that says actually the valuation is not high enough I think as I mentioned. So the last time that they gave the opportunity to have an interview with you is that I’m discussing with all the shareholder because I think that is important the convergence of everybody on the best for our company. So again, if I looked at the evaluation that are coming from the analysts that are much higher than the actual value of the company. If I consider that none of them have included the potential upside that can come from this fabulous. If no one is including also the opportunity that will have to be part of an important market consolidation in the following years. I think that we have the opportunity to allow to this company to be back, to grow and perhaps also to have in the future a shareholder emulation. Yeah. And I know you’ve said it many times that you’re working on having everyone’s confidence, but are you confident that Vivendi will will, you know, vote in your favor April 23rd? This is a very big shareholder, yes. I I cannot say that they’re confident that they will vote. What is important is in any case in the interest of the company that the least the slate of the board will be the winner because it will guarantee continuity for the company. Vivendi is a rational shareholder and what they want to do because this is what they declared, is to increase the value of their stake to be sold. And I think that our plan is the best that can guarantee that.