Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 193

Izzy and Ethan made their way back to the chairman's office. With a sense of urgency, Izzy fired up her laptop to check out how the Galeana Group's stocks were doing. Just as she expected, the stocks hadn't taken a major hit thanks to her swift debunking of the rumors and only took a slight dip.

Izzy let out a sigh of relief, flashing a grateful smile at Ethan. "Thanks for that."

Ethan ruffled her hair, "No need for thanks. It wasn't just me."

Izzy knew that without Ethan's guidance, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

As they were chatting, Silas walked in, "Ms. Izzy, the other board members have arrived. They're in the conference room waiting for you to start the meeting."

Izzy had been out of the office for over a month. Being suddenly called back to work made her feel a tad out of sorts. She frowned, "Do I need to start working already?"

Silas nodded, "The other board members already know you're taking over. You have to meet them today. We can't afford to drag our feet."

"Alright, got it."

Ethan saw the reluctance in Izzy's eyes. He knew she didn't really want to take on this job. He chuckled, "Okay, go have your meeting. I'll stick around here and wait for you. I'll leave after you're done."

Silas knew Ethan was just worried about Izzy. That's why he decided to wait. He assured Ethan, "Don't worry, the board members understand the gravity of the situation. They won't give Ms. Galeana a hard time. They probably just want to meet her."

"They won't, but some others might." A meaningful look flashed across Ethan's eyes. The mother and daughter duo might stir up some trouble when they hear the news.

"Ethan, I'm not a pushover. I won't let them take advantage of me." Izzy's eyes were filled with determination.

"Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let Emma stir up trouble." Silas made his stance clear.

Ethan nodded, "Alright, you guys go have your meeting. I'll wait here."

Seeing Ethan's determination, Izzy decided to go along with it. She left for the meeting room with Silas. As they walked, Silas explained, "Most of the Galeana Group's shares are held by a few people. Only 28% of the shares are in other hands. The board is made up of 153 members, with none holding more than 5% of the shares. A large chunk of shares is held by the general public. The company's rule is that a change of chairman requires the approval of more than two-thirds of the shareholders. Your voting rights with the chairman have already exceeded this ratio. So, even if some are unhappy with you, they can't call for a re-election."

Izzy nodded, understanding the value of Hunter's tight grip on the shares over the years. "To keep you from getting distracted, I've gathered the board and management together. Some of them are both directors and managers of the company. If you want to know about a particular department, you can directly ask the head of that department for information. As far as I know, the head of finance isn't too pleased with you joining. He might stir up some trouble for you."

Izzy listened carefully to Silas's words, already formulating a plan in her mind. She didn't know much about the other aspects of the company, but she was very familiar with finances. She wasn't afraid. She was used to causing trouble for others, not the other way around.

The moment Izzy walked into the meeting room, she could feel many eyes on her. A quick glance revealed complex looks, including those of doubt and even some filled with contempt.

Izzy took her place at the center, Silas announced, "I'm sure everyone's seen the press conference this morning. I won't repeat it. Ms. Izzy is the company's second-largest shareholder. She has also been authorized by the chairman. Starting today, she will be acting as chairman."

Izzy gave a small nod to everyone, calmly saying, "I look forward to working with all of you."

"Silas, this is the chairman's decision, and we can't oppose it. She has the Meyer Group backing her, which can stabilize the shareholders. But managing a company takes more than just stabilizing people's hearts. I think you haven't considered this thoroughly by letting her take over as chairman."

The one speaking was a man, not too old, in his thirties, with a sharp look in his eyes full of hostility.

Silas looked a bit impatient, but before he could speak, Izzy beat him to it, "What department are you from?"

"Ms. Galeana, I am the director of finance, Gentry." The man replied confidently.

A glint appeared in Izzy's eyes. It seemed Silas was right. He was not pleased with her.

"You're also a director of the company?"

Gentry nodded, "I hold 3% of the company's shares." This is from NôvelDrama.Org.

Izzy nodded in understanding, then turned to the others, "As directors, what you care about is the value of your shares. As long as the stock price is stable, your earnings won't decrease. As for how I manage the company, it doesn't affect you much. Would you rather have a chairman who's all talk and no action, or someone who can stabilize the stock price in the short term?"

This sparked a discussion among the directors. After a while, one of them stood up, "The chairman is right, what the company needs most right now is a chairman who can stabilize the stock price."

Seeing some of the directors easily swayed by Izzy, Gentry spoke up, "Mr. Vicente, have you considered what happens after?"

"After? Mr. Gentry, didn't you hear what I just said? Mr. Galeana will be back in two months. I'm just temporarily filling in for him. It's not for long." Izzy retorted with an icy laugh.

"You only have two months in the company. You don't understand the company well enough to make decisions." Gentry always had some dissatisfaction with this young woman. If she were to command him, he wouldn't be pleased.

"Mr. Gentry, how long have you been with the Galeana Group?"

Izzy suddenly popped up with this question, leaving Gentry a bit puzzled about her intention. All he could do was answer, "I've been here for like four years now."

"And do you think you're up to speed with stuff in the Finance department?" Izzy pressed on.

"I reckon I'm pretty clued up on the Finance department," he replied.

"Well, let me ask you this. Suppose I decide to buy out some raw materials company, let's say one in A City. Could you tell me what factors we need to focus on in a financial acquisition plan? Roughly how much liquid capital would we need? And how should the company go about getting the funds?"