France Telecom-Orange's former chairman, Didier Lombard, has given up his role as special adviser and has decided to leave the company definitively. The move follows union criticism that by staying on in the capacity of special adviser, Lombard would be paid an average salary of EUR 500,000 and benefit from stock option advantages. France's minister of labour, Xavier Bertrand, had appeared on TV to ask for Lombard to work pro bono or for France Telecom to reverse his appointment. In his resignation statement, Lombard alluded to a spate of suicides that led to him stepping down as CEO last year, saying "I deeply regret the suffering and the incomprehension that resulted from this inevitable need for change". He expressed his hope that the group will be able to move forward with dignity and confidence, pursuing its development both in France and internationally, under the direction of Stephane Richard.
