(Bloomberg) — Euronext NV plans to appoint a new chief executive officer by late September, according to a person familiar with the hunt for a permanent replacement to Dominique Cerutti.
The stock exchange operators board is putting together a list of 10 to 15 names including external candidates, said the person, who declined to be identified because the discussions are confidential. While no obvious contender has emerged, the preference is for someone from outside the company, the person said.
Former CEO Cerutti surprised the exchanges management and investors in April by announcing that he would leave to take a job at consulting firm Altran Technologies SA. He ran Euronext – – which operates stock markets in France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal — for the first 10 months following its spinoff from Intercontinental Exchange Inc. last year.
Caroline Nico, a spokeswoman for Euronext, declined to comment.
The board aims to select about five people in August for interviews, the person said. Jos Dijsselhof, Euronexts chief operating officer, is the interim CEO.
Cerutti took charge of Euronext in 2009, and managed the business during its separation from ICE. The U.S. markets operator acquired the group of European stock exchanges as part of its purchase of NYSE Euronext in 2013.
He focused on cutting costs and diversifying sources of income. Shareholders appeared to reward the strategy. Its stock has risen 39 percent this year, compared with 29 percent for Frankfurt-based Deutsche Boerse AG and 11 percent for Spains exchange operator, Bolsas & Mercados Espanoles SA.
