Americanas dismisses the entire board after accounting scandal investigation

Americanas informed, this Friday (3), that it dismissed its entire board, 23 days after the disclosure of the material fact that opened up an accounting hole of R$ 20 billion in its balance sheet.

In a statement to the market, the retailer informs that the company’s board of directors decided to remove Anna Saicali (president of Ame Digital), Timotheo Barros (vice president, responsible for physical stores, logistics and technology) and Márcio Meirelles (vice president, responsible for the digital, consumption and marketing areas).

They were remnants of the board prior to the inauguration of Sergio Rial, former president of the retailer who announced the “accounting inconsistencies” that culminated in the request for judicial recovery on the last day 19.

They are the target of investigations by the CVM (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários) regarding the omission of relevant information and the possible use of privileged information in sales of shares that receive bonuses, which skyrocketed in the second half of 2022.

They are also the target of lawsuits filed by creditor banks of the retailer, who want access to their computers to look for evidence of accounting fraud in e-mails.

Americanas also dismissed executives Fábio da Silva Abrate, Flávia Carneiro and Marcelo da Silva Nunes – the names are not on the company’s investor relations website. Until the publication of this text, the retailer’s advisory could not inform who they are.

The removal is valid while the accounting scandal is being investigated. The company claims, however, that the measure does not represent “any anticipation of judgment.”

The company’s board is formed by representatives of the main shareholders: Carlos Alberto Sicupira (founder of 3G Capital, himself one of the main shareholders); Paulo Alberto Lemann (son of Jorge Paulo Lemann, another important shareholder and also founder of 3G); and Cláudio Moniz Barreto Garcia and Eduardo Saggioro Garcia.

Mauro Muratorio Not, Sidney Victor da Costa Breyer and Vanessa Claro Lopes participate as independent members of the board.

Americanas claims to have taken the decision considering the new internal and external leaders who will give continuity to the business: the new financial director Camille Loyo Faria (who took office on the last 1st and worked in the judicial recovery of Oi), the consultants Alvarez & Marsal (restructuring) and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (accounting advisory).

Only Camille Loyo Faria and João Guerra —the interim president of Americanas, appointed when Rial resigned as head of the chain, on January 11—remain in the company.

The retailer says that several measures have been implemented to ensure the integrity of the preservation of company information and documents. She cites the hiring of IBPTECH, a forensic expertise institute, FTI Consulting, an international consultancy, and ICTS Security, a consultancy specializing in information security.

‘Earth natural is not for sale’

In a statement released this afternoon, Americanas rejects the idea of ​​selling the Natural da Terra fruit and vegetable chain.

“In view of unfounded rumors and speculation circulated in media channels, it comes to clarify to its
shareholders and the market in general that there are no ongoing negotiations aimed at the sale, by the company, of Hortifruti Natural da Terra”, he informed.

“The company also informs that it is continuously studying ways to ensure that the judicial recovery allows a gain in value for Americanas and its stakeholders and maintains the high level of experience of its consumers and partners and reiterates that it will maintain its efforts in the search for a solution with its creditors, to maintain its commitment as a generator of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, broad social impact, source of production and stimulus for economic activity.”