Manitou's Bruno Fille resigns over new management structure

Manitou said Mr Fille had resigned for personal reasons "principally related to the plans to convert the company's legal status and its method of governance".

This refers to the decision announced on 2 June that saw the chief executive officer Marcel Claude Braud step down from his position as chief executive and the company return to a "legal structure based on a board of directors". At that meeting a new chief executive officer, Jean-Christophe Giroux, was appointed.

The company said it "regrets Mr Fille's departure and would like to thank him for the work he has accomplished over the last twelve years and in particular for stabilising the group's financial situation over the first half of 2009."

The supervisory board, also on 26 August, announced the appointment of Mr Hervé Rochet as group finance director. Other appointments include Jérôme Tertrais, human resources director, and Hervé Saulais, general secretary to the executive committee.