Summary: An investigation of the notorious connections between different well-paid members of the EPO's management, including some who are family members and former colleagues

THE EPO coverage continues with a series focusing on dubious appointments inside this organisation (which quickly morphed into what we called "Team Battistelli").

“Since October 2012, her direct superior and reporting officer has been the Vice-President of Directorate General 4 (VP4), Mr Željko Topić.”
      --Anonymous"This is fuelling speculation as to who his successor might be," this reader added. "Two of the names being bandied about are those of Ms Elodie Bergot and her husband Mr Gilles Requena."

Bergot already sends threatening letters to staff, so she would not be a misfit here.

Our reader gave us some background information about this duo, starting with Elodie Bergot (warning: don't click this link if tracking by epo.org can unmask a meaningful -- mappable to ID -- IP address, use this archive instead). Ms Bergot is currently the Principal Director of Human Resources at the EPO (PD 4.3). We have learned, based on numerous sources, that staff isn't particularly fond of her, in part because of how she reached her current position.

"She was recruited as an administrator at the EPO in Munich," told us one source, indicating that this happened on the 1^st of December 2010, "and started off her career at grade A3 in Department 4.3.1 (Regulations and Change Management).

“Such an extraordinary "promotion" is without precedent at the EPO.”
      --Anonymous"Shortly before the completion of the normal one-year probation period foreseen for category A staff, Ms Bergot was transferred to Department 4.3 on 1 October 2011.

"Since October 2012, her direct superior and reporting officer has been the Vice-President of Directorate General 4 (VP4), Mr Željko Topić." That's the man who faces criminal charges and also intimidates EPO staff.

Here comes the interesting part. According to ours source, Bergot achieved the unthinkable. "On 30 January 2013," we were told, "Ms Bergot was promoted to grade A6 with effect from 1 February 2013.

"Such an extraordinary "promotion" is without precedent at the EPO."

In the next part we are going to look into complaints about this promotion. We will take a closer look into possibly reasons why such a magical promotion could be facilitated. It's not purely speculative, so facts will be presented and readers will be left to reach their own conclusions. ⬆