(Telecompaper) Telecom Italia shareholders have appointed Giuseppe Recchi as chairman after an 11-hour meeting that for the first time sees independent directors placed in charge of the company. Although Recchi was the candidate of Telco SpA, the Telefonica-led group that holds a controlling 22.4 percent stake in Telecom Italia, he has no ties with it and can therefore be classified as an independent, along with most of the 13 directors appointed yesterday for a three-year term. Telco got backing for three directors in the first round of voting and another seven in the second round, while mutual funds association Assogestioni got all three of its proposed candidates approved after winning most votes in first round. However, none of the candidates of the Findim Group of 5 percent shareholder Marco Fossati managed to obtain a board seat, partly due to the complex voting system he has criticised. The lack of proper representation for minority investors prompted a Fossati-led shareholder revolt last year with the aim of ousting the board, resulting in Telco's proposal of a new board of independent figures led by Recchi, who drew around 97 percent of votes and whose appointment was yesterday cautiously welcomed by Fossati. "We have to start with a new era ... but if a conflict of interest becomes evident we will seek again to revoke the board," he said.