Avantor® Reiterates Shareholder Value Creation Focus
Avantor (NYSE:AVTR), a global provider of life sciences and advanced technology products, has responded to Engine Capital's letter by reaffirming its commitment to shareholder value creation. The company highlighted several strategic initiatives, including the appointment of Emmanuel Ligner as CEO effective August 18, 2025, the implementation of a $400 million cost transformation program, and successful debt reduction of $1.5 billion over the past 18 months.
The Board emphasized its focus on strengthening growth and profitability in Laboratory Solutions and Bioscience Production segments, while highlighting recent leadership changes and increased business transparency through resegmentation efforts.
Avantor (NYSE:AVTR), fornitore globale di prodotti per le scienze della vita e tecnologie avanzate, ha risposto alla lettera di Engine Capital riaffermando il suo impegno a creare valore per gli azionisti. L'azienda ha segnalato diverse iniziative strategiche, tra cui la nomina di Emmanuel Ligner come CEO con effetto dal 18 agosto 2025, l'avvio di un $400 million cost transformation program e la riduzione del debito di $1.5 billion negli ultimi 18 mesi.
Il Consiglio ha sottolineato l'attenzione al rafforzamento della crescita e della redditività nei segmenti Laboratory Solutions e Bioscience Production, evidenziando inoltre i recenti cambiamenti nella leadership e una maggiore trasparenza attraverso la resegmentazione.
Avantor (NYSE:AVTR), proveedor global de productos para ciencias de la vida y tecnologías avanzadas, ha respondido a la carta de Engine Capital reafirmando su compromiso con la creación de valor para los accionistas. La compañía destacó varias iniciativas estratégicas, incluida la designación de Emmanuel Ligner como CEO con efecto a partir del 18 de agosto de 2025, la puesta en marcha de un $400 million cost transformation program y la reducción de la deuda en $1.5 billion durante los últimos 18 meses.
El Consejo subrayó su foco en reforzar el crecimiento y la rentabilidad en los segmentos Laboratory Solutions y Bioscience Production, remarcando además los cambios recientes en la dirección y una mayor transparencia empresarial mediante la resegmentación.
Avantor (NYSE:AVTR), 생명과학 및 첨단기술 제품의 글로벌 공급업체는 Engine Capital의 서한에 대해 주주 가치 창출에 대한 의지를 재확인하며 답변했습니다. 회사는 여러 전략적 조치로 Emmanuel Ligner를 2025년 8월 18일부로 CEO로 선임한 점, $400 million cost transformation program의 시행, 그리고 지난 18개월 동안 $1.5 billion의 부채 축소를 강조했습니다.
이사회는 Laboratory Solutions 및 Bioscience Production 부문에서의 성장과 수익성 강화에 주력하고 있음을 강조했고, 최근의 리더십 교체와 리세그멘테이션을 통한 업무 투명성 제고도 함께 언급했습니다.
Avantor (NYSE:AVTR), fournisseur mondial de produits pour les sciences de la vie et les technologies avancées, a répondu à la lettre d'Engine Capital en réaffirmant son engagement à créer de la valeur pour les actionnaires. La société a mis en avant plusieurs initiatives stratégiques, notamment la nomination de Emmanuel Ligner au poste de CEO à compter du 18 août 2025, la mise en œuvre d'un $400 million cost transformation program et la réduction de la dette de $1.5 billion au cours des 18 derniers mois.
Le conseil a souligné son attention sur le renforcement de la croissance et de la rentabilité des segments Laboratory Solutions et Bioscience Production, en mettant également en avant les récents changements de direction et une plus grande transparence opérationnelle via la resegmentation.
Avantor (NYSE:AVTR), ein globaler Anbieter von Produkten für Life Sciences und fortschrittliche Technologien, hat auf den Brief von Engine Capital reagiert und sein Bekenntnis zur Schaffung von Aktionärswert bekräftigt. Das Unternehmen hob mehrere strategische Maßnahmen hervor, darunter die Ernennung von Emmanuel Ligner zum CEO mit Wirkung zum 18. August 2025, die Umsetzung eines $400 million cost transformation program sowie eine erfolgreiche Schuldenreduzierung in Höhe von $1.5 billion in den letzten 18 Monaten.
Der Vorstand betonte seinen Fokus auf die Stärkung von Wachstum und Profitabilität in den Segmenten Laboratory Solutions und Bioscience Production und verwies außerdem auf die jüngsten Führungswechsel und die erhöhte Transparenz durch Re-Segmentierung.
- Successful debt reduction of $1.5 billion over past 18 months
- Implementation of $400 million cost transformation program
- Strategic appointment of experienced CEO Emmanuel Ligner
- Enhanced business transparency through resegmentation
- Activist investor pressure from Engine Capital suggesting potential performance concerns
- Need for urgent action to strengthen growth and profitability
Insights
Avantor responds to activist pressure with leadership change and financial restructuring while defending its strategic direction.
This press release represents Avantor's formal response to activist investor Engine Capital, highlighting the company's strategic initiatives to enhance shareholder value amid what appears to be external pressure for change. The announcement reveals a leadership transition with Emmanuel Ligner taking over as CEO on August 18th, suggesting the board is implementing significant organizational changes in response to performance concerns.
The company emphasizes several key strategic actions taken over the past 18 months, including: implementation of a
The defensive tone of the statement, combined with the retention of Goldman Sachs, Gordon Dyal & Co. as financial advisors, and Paul, Weiss as legal counsel, strongly suggests Avantor is preparing for potential activist-driven conflict. This constellation of advisors typically indicates a company gearing up for a proxy battle or responding to acquisition pressures.
Avantor is attempting to demonstrate proactive governance by highlighting board-led initiatives while simultaneously signaling openness to dialogue with Engine Capital. The company's emphasis on its unique market position across laboratory solutions and bioscience production indicates a defense of its current business model rather than openness to transformative changes that activists might be demanding.
Emmanuel Ligner, Seasoned Leader with Proven Track Record of Value Creation in Life Sciences, to Begin Role as CEO Next Week
The Board of Directors is actively engaged in overseeing the setting and execution of the Company's strategy and is committed to always acting in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. As such, we regularly review the Company's strategic priorities with an eye towards driving growth, expanding margins, and creating sustained shareholder value.
Avantor is uniquely positioned for success based on the breadth of our portfolio to address the research and production environment, our global distribution platform, and our long-standing customer relationships across the life sciences industry.
We are acting with urgency to strengthen growth and profitability in both Laboratory Solutions and Bioscience Production. Over the past 18 months, the Board has overseen the change to a new Chief Executive Officer and a new leader in Lab Solutions, the successful launch of a
We are confident in our ability to accelerate execution of our value creation initiatives under the leadership of Emmanuel Ligner, who will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on August 18, 2025. We look forward to an ongoing dialogue with all our shareholders, including Engine Capital.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Gordon Dyal & Co. are serving as Avantor's financial advisors and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is serving as legal counsel. Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher is serving as strategic communications advisor.
About Avantor
Avantor® is a leading life science tools company and global provider of mission-critical products and services to the life sciences and advanced technology industries. We work side-by-side with customers at every step of the scientific journey to enable breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare, and technology. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities at more than 300,000 customer locations in 180 countries. For more information, visit avantorsciences.com and find us on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, including our cost transformation initiative, objectives, future performance and business. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words "aim," "anticipate," "assumption," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "intend," "likely," "long-term," "near-term," "objective," "opportunity," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "project," "projection," "prospects," "seek," "target," "trend," "can," "could," "may," "should," "would," "will," the negatives thereof and other words and terms of similar meaning.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions; they are not guarantees of performance. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. Although we believe that our assumptions made in connection with the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could contribute to these risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the factors described in "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as such risk factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC.
All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. In addition, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise other than as required under the federal securities laws.
Investor Relations Contact
Allison Hosak
Senior Vice President, Global Communications
Avantor
908-329-7281
Allison.Hosak@avantorsciences.com
Media Contact
Eric Van Zanten
Head of External Communications
Avantor
610-529-6219
Eric.Vanzanten@avantorsciences.com
Joe Sala / Melissa Johnson
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(212) 355-4449
jsala@joelefrank.com or mjohnson@joelefrank.com
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