Euronext has suffered its second top-level resignation in less than a year with the surprise departure of João Freixa, a member of the group's five-strong managing board and head of Euronext Lisbon.

Freixa, a former country manager for Portugal at Barclays Bank, joined Euronext in March 2003, succeeding Manuel Alves Monteiro, who had negotiated the merger of BVLP, the then Lisbon stock exchange, into Euronext in 2002.