Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Friday, December 25 2020 - 12:37
AsiaNet
Farallon requests Toshiba Corporation Convene an EGM to Explain and Seek Shareholder Approval Regarding Significant Changes to the Toshiba Next Plan Relating to a New One Trillion Yen Growth Investing Strategy
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

Today, an affiliate of Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. ("Farallon") 
requested Toshiba Corporation ("Toshiba" or the "Company")(6502.T) convene an 
extraordinary general meeting of shareholders ("EGM") to seek shareholder 
approval regarding significant changes to the Toshiba Next Plan ("TNP") 
relating to a new one trillion yen growth investing plan.

Farallon has continued constructive discussions with Toshiba as a major 
shareholder since 2017, including recommending the appointment of Mr. Raymond 
Zage, who previously served as CEO and Managing Director of Farallon Capital 
Asia, to the Toshiba Board of Directors.  Mr. Zage was appointed as a director 
of Toshiba at the Annual General Meeting held in June 2019.

Farallon commends Toshiba for successfully reinforcing its internal controls, 
improving its financial condition, reviewing its business portfolio, and 
improving its profitability through structural reforms.  As set forth in the 
TNP under the leadership of CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani, these initiatives were 
implemented with the purpose of "maximizing enterprise value as an 
infrastructure services company." 

Farallon is, however, deeply concerned that on November 11, 2020, Toshiba 
suddenly announced a growth strategy that was materially different from that 
described in the TNP.  Specifically, Toshiba announced that funds amounting to 
approximately one trillion yen will be used for large-scale M&A, without 
providing any reasonable explanation as to why such a strategy change was 
warranted or how it would increase corporate value.  This shift was in marked 
contrast to the growth strategy committed to and announced in the TNP that 
focused on a disciplined capital policy and targeted growth through organic 
expansion and small-scale, programmatic M&A (instead of large-scale M&A).

The current directors of Toshiba are appointed on the basis of a public 
commitment to the TNP and a significant change to the TNP not approved by 
shareholders is wholly inappropriate and a rebuke of the trust shareholders 
have placed in management and the Board to implement the TNP. Shareholders have 
reason for concern.  Toshiba has recorded a total of approximately 1.8 trillion 
yen of impairment losses in the past 20 years resulting from heedless growth 
investments through large-scale M&A, which have led to a reduction of 
shareholder capital ³and a crisis of solvency.  Shareholders have already 
expressed views around the Company's capital policy.  At the Company's Annual 
General Meeting in July 2020, a proposal to amend Toshiba's Articles of 
Incorporation to enable a general meeting of shareholders to resolve matters 
concerning Toshiba's capital policy was adopted with near unanimous affirmative 
votes (97.74%).  This result strongly indicates that the shareholders of 
Toshiba believe that significant changes to the TNP around Toshiba's capital 
policy should not be made by management without shareholder input, but instead 
should be determined through a general meeting of shareholders. 

Accordingly, Farallon has concluded that since Toshiba has significantly 
changed the TNP without any reasonable explanation to its shareholders (and has 
not even offered clear criteria or a policy for how it proposes to evaluate 
such large-scale M&A), it is imperative that Toshiba's Board fully articulate 
its intentions, explain its new growth strategy and seek shareholder feedback 
on those plans.  Until shareholders approve a revision to the TNP, Toshiba 
should continue with the promises it made and pursue a disciplined capital 
policy focusing on organic growth and programmatic M&A.

Farallon has always sought to have a constructive dialogue with Toshiba, with 
an aim to improve mid to long-term enterprise value, and will continue to seek 
to do so.

About Farallon 

Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C., is a global investment firm founded in 
1986 and registered as an investment advisor with the United States Securities 
and Exchange Commission since 1990.  Farallon seeks investments across asset 
classes and around the world through a process of bottom-up fundamental 
research and analysis emphasizing capital preservation.  More information on 
Farallon is available at www.faralloncapital.com. 

Disclaimer

Information contained herein is based on public information. Chinook Holdings 
Ltd., Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. and their affiliates and 
representatives (collectively, "Farallon") do not guarantee its accuracy, 
completeness, adequacy or exhaustiveness.  This press release represents the 
views, estimates and opinions of Farallon only, which may change.  It should 
not be relied upon for any purpose and should not be construed as investment, 
financial, legal, tax or other advice.  Nothing in this press release should be 
construed as an offer, invitation, marketing of services or products, 
advertisement, inducement or representation of any kind, nor as investment 
advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any investment products or make any 
type of investment in securities.  

This press release should not be construed as soliciting any other Toshiba 
shareholder to authorize Farallon or any third party to exercise voting rights 
on such shareholder's behalf with respect to any matter proposed to be 
presented to shareholders as indicated in the Request for Convocation of 
Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders. This press release is not intended and 
should not be considered to solicit, encourage, induce or seek for Toshiba 
shareholders to authorize Farallon or any other third party as their proxy in 
exercising their voting rights on their behalf.

Farallon is not soliciting or requesting other shareholders of Toshiba to 
jointly exercise their shareholders' rights with Farallon (including, but not 
limited to, voting rights). Farallon declares that it does not intend to be 
treated or deemed a "joint holder" (kyo-do hoyu-sha) with other Toshiba 
shareholders under the Japanese Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.

Media Contacts

Steve Bruce / Taylor Ingraham 

ASC Advisors 

sbruce@ascadvisors.com / tingraham@ascadvisors.com 

+1 203 992 1230

SOURCE: Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. 
Translations

Japanese