UniCredit SpA

UniCredit is narrowing down a field of candidates to replace departing Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier, three people familiar with the matter said, as Italy's second biggest bank tries to find a new boss by early February.

The wacky race to replace ousted boss Jean Pierre Mustier at $21 billion UniCredit is in full swing. Headhunters are sounding out high-level executives such as former UBS investment banking head Andrea Orcel and ex-Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam, as well as a raft of Italy-based...

As of early December, UniCredit had granted about 18.3 billion euros ($22 billion) in state-guaranteed loans and had suspended payments on debt worth almost 25 billion euros, a top executive at the Italian bank said.

The search for a new chief executive is UniCredit's main priority at the moment, the bank's outgoing chairman said in an interview published on Tuesday.

* Choice of CEO seen as pivotal in relation to MPS deal (Adds details on CEO search)

Eyewear tycoon Leonardo Del Vecchio, who owns 1.9% of UniCredit, opposes the lender taking over rival Monte dei Paschi and is in touch with other large Italian investors who share concerns about a potential deal, two people close to the matter said.

A group of local investors in UniCredit holding an aggregate 5% of Italy's second-biggest bank is considering striking an accord so as to have a bigger say in the choice of a new chief executive, an Italian daily reported on Thursday.

Italy is working on a plan to take on about 14 billion euros ($17 billion) of UniCredit's impaired loans to make a takeover of state-owned Monte dei Paschi more attractive for the country's second-biggest bank, sources told Reuters.

Italy's government is working on a plan to take on about 14 billion euros ($17.3 billion) of UniCredit's non-performing loans to make a takeover of state-owned Monte dei Paschi more attractive for the country's second-biggest bank, sources said.

Italy's government is working on a plan to take on about 14 billion euros ($17.27 billion) of UniCredit's non-performing loans to make a deal for state-owned Monte dei Paschi more attractive to the country's second-biggest bank, sources said.

* Treasury confident process towards deal can kick off in Jan (Adds details, context)

Aviva and UniCredit expect non-binding bids for their insurance joint-venture next week as the British insurer moves to divest its Italian operations, three people close to the matter said.

Deep differences within Italy's ruling coalition over the future of Monte dei Paschi (MPS) could come to a head this week as parliament starts voting on next year's budget.

Jean Pierre Mustier's decision to step down as CEO of UniCredit had nothing to do with a possible acquisition of bailed-out rival Monte dei Paschi (MPS), UniCredit Chairman-elect Pier Carlo Padoan was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Enrico Cuccia founded Mediobanca after World War Two as a bulwark for Italian capitalism against the confiscatory hands of an increasingly meddlesome government. Rome once again appears to be in an interventionist mood. The boardroom ouster of the French boss of UniCredit...

Italy's UniCredit on Tuesday sought to dispel concerns it may agree to take on state-owned Monte dei Paschi after the board pushed out Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier.

When French Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier vacates his office on the 29th floor of UniCredit's shiny tower in Milan, he will leave behind a leaner, less Italian bank.

Italy's UniCredit said Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier will step down in April next year after clashing with the bank's board over strategy.

Shares in Italy's UniCredit fell as much as 8% in early trade on Tuesday after Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier said he would leave at the end of his term in April due to divergences with the board over strategy.