By Will Sturgeon, 19 July 2001 07:41
NEWS John Mayo, the deposed deputy CEO of troubled telecoms equipment maker Marconi, was kept away from the company's AGM yesterday over fears that he would speak out against the board. Mayo, still in talks with Marconi lawyers over a potential £1.3m severance package, was kept away with promises that he would not be used as a scapegoat for the company's recent woes which culminated in a profit warning and subsequent share slump earlier this month. Marconi chairman Sir Roger Hurn duly absolved Mayo of any wrongdoing in a speech to shareholders, in which he said: "I want to make it clear that John Mayo worked honestly and tirelessly for the benefit of the company throughout his time here. There is absolutely no question of wrongdoing on his part." However, while the threat posed by Mayo was kept under control, angry protestors campaigning against the closure of Marconi's Poole plant made their voices heard at the meeting. The Poole plant is to be closed as part of the company's ongoing review of its operations at a cost of over 500 jobs.
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