Fired Endeavour CEO had checkered work history before joining British mining company – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – January 6, 2024)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Ousted chief executive Sébastien de Montessus had a history of going behind the backs of his superiors and conducting unauthorized business, well before the British gold mining company fired him for cause this week.

London-based Endeavour on Thursday said it terminated Mr. de Montessus after accusing him of “serious misconduct” related to a payment he authorized without the board’s knowledge. Mr. de Montessus admitted he authorized a payment of US$5.9-million to a creditor in exchange for security services without getting permission from the board, and called it a “lapse in judgment.”

Before joining Endeavour, he worked for state-owned French nuclear company Areva SA for a decade between 2002 and 2012.

During his time at Areva, Mr. de Montessus hired a Swiss private investigator to look into a mergers and acquisitions deal the company had made, the disastrous top-of-the-market purchase of UraMin Inc. in 2007. Mr. de Montessus admitted he hired the PI without getting authorization from his boss at the time, Anne Lauvergeon.

For the rest of this article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/article-fired-endeavour-ceo-had-checkered-work-history-before-joining-british/