Noëlle Lenoir, Lord Gold And Theo Waigel Appointed As External Consultants

Airbus has established an Independent Compliance Review Panel (ICRP) composed of eminent external consultants. The ICRP members are Lord Gold from the UK, Noëlle Lenoir from France and Theo Waigel from Germany. All well-versed in compliance monitoring of large corporations, they will have access to all levels of the company and will report to the Airbus CEO and Board on how to further improve Airbus’ compliance processes, policies, organisation and culture.

“Airbus has been building up and improving its compliance process, policies and organisation constantly over the past decade," said Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus. "A year ago we self-disclosed to the authorities misstatements and omissions that we had found. We have been cooperating fully with the investigations that ensued and further improving our compliance system is obviously our number one priority now. However, to embed irreproachable behaviours in all our business undertakings sustainably, we must take a hard look at both our systems and our culture. That’s why we have chosen to elect highly experienced independent experts to challenge and guide us going forward. Lord Gold, Noëlle Lenoir and Theo Waigel will support us in our ongoing efforts to put in place a meaningful change programme which addresses the issues that have been identified,” he said.

Lord Gold was a solicitor at Herbert Smith for 37 years, serving as its senior partner between 2005 and 2010. In March 2011 he set up David Gold & Associates high level strategic litigation advisors. He is one of the UK's most senior litigators and has extensive experience working at the highest levels with corporations, governments and regulators around the world. Lord Gold reviewed Rolls-Royce’s global anti-corruption compliance policies following bribery allegations in various countries. He is a Conservative life peer in the House of Lords.

Noëlle Lenoir is a specialist in competition law, public business law and economic regulations – both at the national level and at the European level – at Kramer Levin. She served as French Minister of European Affairs from 2002 to 2004, was the youngest person ever to have served on the French Constitutional Court. She has been a member of the Conseil d’Etat (France’s highest court in administrative and tax matters) since 1984.

Dr. Theodor Waigel served as Federal Minister of Finance of Germany in the Cabinet of Chancellor Helmut Kohl from 1989 to 1998, and as Chairman of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria from 1989 to 1999. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 1972 to 2002. An eminent lawyer since 1967, he has acted in an advisory capacity for corporations and government on matters of compensation, governance and compliance since 1999. From 2009 to 2012, Dr. Waigel served as an outside compliance monitor for Siemens. 

(Source: Airbus news release)

FMI: www.airbusgroup.com/int/en/group-vision/ethics-compliance/enforcing-compliance