EVN boss quits

One of Austria’s leading energy providers is to get a new chairman as Burkhard Hofer announced he has decided to step down as head of EVN’s executive board.The Lower Austrian company announced today (Weds) that the 66-year-old asked the supervisory board to release him from his position next month. EVN explained that its supervisory panel will tender the post soon.Hofer has headed the firm since 2005. His contract was extended for another three years in September 2009. It has not been revealed why he decided to resign as chairman of the company.EVN, which is based in Maria Enzersdorf, is quoted on the Vienna Stock Exchange (WBAG). The province of Lower Austria is EVN’s main stakeholder with an interest of 51 per cent.The company’s earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) soared by 8.3 per cent year on year to 194.1 million Euros in the first nine months of the 2009/2010 business year (October 2009 to June 2010). Analysts had expected just a 7.7 per cent increase.