Telecom Italia elects Alessandro Pansa to vacant board seat

ROME (Reuters) -Telecom Italia (TIM) has elected Alessandro Pansa, a former head of Italy's police force, as a non-executive director in a majority vote, filling a vacant seat on the board, the company said on Wednesday.

Pansa, currently chairman of TIM's submarine cable unit Sparkle, secured nine votes out of 14 at a board meeting on Wednesday, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier in the day.

The board representative of TIM's second-biggest investor, state lender CDP, voted in favour of Pansa, a source said.

He prevailed over Luciano Carta, a former chairman of Italian defence group Leonardo, who was backed by TIM's leading investor Vivendi.

(Additional reporting by Anusha S; writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)