BENGALURU: Britain’s data protection watchdog said on Friday it has fined IAG’s British Airways 20 million pounds ($25.85 million) — its biggest such penalty to date — for failing to protect personal and financial details of more than 400,000 of its customers.
“Their failure to act was unacceptable and affected hundreds of thousands of people, which may have caused some anxiety and distress as a result,” the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said of a cyberattack the airline suffered in 2018.
IAG shares slid to session lows following the announcement. By 0917 GMT, they were 3% lower at 93.2 pence.
The regulator said it considered representations from BA and the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis on their business before setting a final penalty, which was considerably less than the 183.4 million pounds proposed last year.
The ICO said its investigators found BA should have identified weaknesses in its security and resolved them with measures available at the time, which would have prevented the cyberattack.
British Airways did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
($1 = 0.7736 pounds)
British Airways slapped with UK data watchdog’s biggest-ever fine
https://arab.news/cftzz
British Airways slapped with UK data watchdog’s biggest-ever fine
- BA fined $25.85 million for failing to protect personal and financial details of more than 400,000 customers
- The ICO said its investigators found BA should have identified weaknesses in its security and resolved them
Egypt’s Sawiris proposed as adidas chairman after brand posts record 2025 results
JEDDAH: Adidas has nominated Egyptian billionaire and board member Nassef Sawiris as its next chairman, succeeding Thomas Rabe.
The move comes as the German sportswear group reported strong 2025 results, with revenue rising 13 percent to a record €24.8 billion ($29 billion) and net income from continuing operations surging nearly 70 percent under CEO Bjorn Gulden.
Rabe, 60, has chaired adidas’ supervisory board since 2020 after joining in 2019. He is also chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann Management SE and CEO of RTL Group.
Cairo-born Sawiris, 65, is an investor and scion of Egypt’s wealthiest family, with an estimated net worth of $9.6 billion, according to Forbes. He runs OCI, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, and oversees Orascom Construction.
His holdings include nearly 6 percent of adidas through his investment vehicle NNS.
Sawiris’ appointment is subject to shareholder approval at the May 7 annual general meeting. The supervisory board has also proposed extending Gulden’s contract to the end of 2030, following the turnaround he has led since early 2023.
“Following the Annual General Meeting, the Supervisory Board intends to elect Nassef Sawiris as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. He is to succeed Thomas Rabe as Chairman, whose term of office will end as planned at the close of the upcoming Annual General Meeting,” adidas group said in a statement.
“With Nassef Sawiris, the Supervisory Board will win an experienced entrepreneur and investor as Supervisory Board Chairman. Nassef has already accompanied adidas for many years as a Supervisory Board member and has contributed significantly to the strategic development of the company,” Rabe said.
He added that Sawiris’ significant shareholding in adidas through NNS underscores his strong and long-term commitment to the company and alignment with shareholder interests.
Sawiris, deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2025, expressed his delight at the nomination, emphasizing that with vast opportunities in such an attractive industry, it is especially important for him to actively help shape adidas’s future alongside his colleagues and the executive board.
“I greatly appreciate the achievements of Bjorn and his team so far, and I am looking forward to continuing our close collaboration as we jointly guide adidas into its next chapter,” he said, extending thanks to Rabe for his long-standing leadership, the trustful collaboration, and his achievements for the company.
