Telecom Italia’s nominations committee will meet today to discuss a list of candidates to replace CEO Marco Patuano, who resigned from his position earlier this week.

Patuano left Telecom Italia after reported clashes with Vivendi, the operator’s single largest shareholder, which has steadily raised its stake in the Italian incumbent over the past seven months.

Reuters reports that the Italian incumbent’s nominations committee will now meet for a first examination of a list of possible candidates, with an appointment possible before the end of March.

“The idea is to move quickly, also to smooth the transition, if there is no decision before Easter, then shortly after,” added a source.

Flavio Cattaneo, CEO of Italian railway company NTV and a Telecom Italia board member, has emerged as the early favourite for the post, while former Deutsche Telekom chief executive Rene Obermann, Maximo Ibarra, the current CEO of Wind, and Luigi Gubitosi, the former CEO of Wind, have also been linked with the role.

It is thought Vivendi will push for the accelerated sale of Telecom Italia’s Brazilian subsidiary TIM Participacoes, once the CEO position is filled, and reinvest the proceeds into the company’s domestic operations.

Patuano was reportedly at odds with Vivendi over Brazil in particular, as he considered the local unit a strategic asset, and this proved to be a major sticking point in his relationship with the French company.

Executive chairman Guiseppe Recchi has been placed in temporary charge.