FRANCHISE-PARTNERS
Independent Franchise Partners, LLP (“Franchise Partners”) today launches a website to outline the overlooked value in Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (“Kirin” or “the Company”) (TSE: 2503) and to call for a reversal of its diversification strategy.
Franchise Partners has held a position in Kirin since September 2014 based on its view of the fundamentally attractive collection of beer assets in Japan, Australia, Myanmar and the Philippines. The value of these assets is obscured by substantial non-core holdings in the pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical, and skincare industries.
Over the past 5 years, Franchise Partners has engaged with the Company’s management and board to encourage them to take practical steps to close the significant conglomerate and capital allocation discounts that are reflected in Kirin’s valuation.
To this end, Franchise Partners has submitted proposals for shareholder consideration at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting for Shareholders. These proposals aim to strengthen Kirin’s corporate governance practices, to better align management compensation with shareholder value creation, and to unlock value via disposing of the stakes in non-core assets and returning proceeds to shareholders via share buyback.
Franchise Partners notes that Kirin has proposed substantial changes to its board for consideration at its upcoming AGM. Franchise Partners is encouraged that Kirin appears to acknowledge the need to overhaul its board. While the Company’s four candidates appear to meet the technical standard for independence, three of them are financially affiliated with Kirin. Shareholders have reason to question whether these candidates will be allowed to offer genuine oversight of Kirin management or to ask fundamental questions about the current strategy and capital allocation priorities.
Franchise Partners believes there are clear paths available to create a more valuable and sustainable Kirin that will serve the long-term interests of all of its stakeholders. Franchise Partners encourages fellow shareholders to present their concerns about the Company’s conglomerate “bridging strategy” directly to Kirin management.
A full presentation is available at www.abetterkirin.com .
***
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200218005125/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Thales Launches AI Security Fabric, Providing AI Runtime Security for Agentic AI and LLM-Powered Applications11.12.2025 09:00:00 CET | Press release
Thales launches its new AI Security Fabric, delivering the first runtime security capabilities designed to protect Agentic AI, LLM-powered applications, enterprise data, and identities.New capabilities address emerging AI-specific threats—including prompt injection, data leakage, model manipulation, and insecure RAG pipelines—helping organizations innovate safely while maintaining compliance.With upcoming 2026 enhancements, Thales aims to provide a comprehensive security layer for AI ecosystems, enabling enterprises to confidently scale AI adoption across cloud and on-premises environments. AI is one of the fastest-growing technologies in the history of modern business, with the ability to revolutionize industries, optimize operations, and drive innovation, but it is also introducing security gaps, risks, and vulnerabilities. According to McKinsey, 78% of organizations are using AI in at least one business function, up from 55% two years ago. As a result, 73% of them are investing in A
Interactive Brokers Adds Access to Brazil’s B3 Exchange11.12.2025 09:00:00 CET | Press release
Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), an automated global electronic broker, today announced that eligible clients outside of Brazil can now trade Brazilian equities through B3, the Brazil Stock Exchange. This expansion gives investors more ways to access emerging market opportunities across Latin America alongside global stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, funds, and more through a single unified platform. The B3 Exchange is one of the most active and liquid markets in the region. With this addition, investors will have direct access to trade Brazilian equities, plus over 160 markets worldwide using Interactive Brokers’ powerful trading platforms and tools. “Global investors need seamless access to diverse markets to stay competitive,” said Milan Galik, Chief Executive Officer of Interactive Brokers. “By adding Brazil’s B3 Exchange, we’re giving our clients efficient, low-cost access to one of the world’s most dynamic emerging economies through our unified global platform.” Int
Kyowa Kirin Announces Proposed Appointment of Abdul Mullick to President and Chief Executive Officer, While Former CEO Masashi Miyamoto to Remain Chairman11.12.2025 08:30:00 CET | Press release
Leadership Changes to Take Effect Following Conclusion of Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in March 2026Announcement Follows Year of Dual CEO / COO Model and Returns Company to Single Leader Structure Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (TSE:4151, Kyowa Kirin), a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced the Board of Directors’ decision to appoint Abdul Mullick, Ph.D., currently President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The appointment will become effective March 2026 following the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. As Mullick takes on the role of President and CEO for Kyowa Kirin, current CEO Masashi Miyamoto, Ph.D., remains Chairman. In March 2025, shareholders approved a dual CEO / COO model, with Mullick appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, partnering with Miyamoto to lead the global organisation. The model provided a transition period for Mullick
Galderma Announces First Patient Enrollment in Study to Assess Nemolizumab in Adults With Chronic Pruritus of Unknown Origin11.12.2025 07:00:00 CET | Press release
Chronic Pruritus of Unknown Origin (CPUO) is characterized by a persistent, chronic itch with an unknown cause and is associated with very high burden of disease due to severe itch, sleep deprivation and mental distress1 Galderma’s phase II study builds on emerging research that reinforces the role of IL-31 – a neuroimmune cytokine that is involved in driving itch – in CPUO1 Nemolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-312 It is approved by multiple regulatory authorities for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis – conditions in which IL-31 plays a key role in driving itch, inflammation, epidermal dysregulation, and, in prurigo nodularis, fibrosis2-6 Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced the first patient enrollment for its phase II study investigating the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab in treating patients living with Chronic P
Ant International and HSBC Test New Cross-Border Payments Solution Using Tokenised Deposits on Swift’s Network and Powered by ISO 2002211.12.2025 04:00:00 CET | Press release
ISO 20022-enabled solution allows blockchain interoperability on Swift’s network, using Ant International’s technology and HSBC’s Tokenised Deposit Service Integration with Swift’s network extends AML and anti-fraud capabilities to tokenised deposits transactions Proof of concept (POC) marks a step towards enabling seamless money movement across borders Ant International, HSBC and Swift today have completed a successful Proof of Concept (POC) for the cross-border transfer of tokenised deposits using ISO 20022 standards. The initiative leverages Swift’s global messaging network and HSBC’s recently launched Tokenised Deposit Service, combined with Ant International’s blockchain technology. The POC marks a key milestone in Ant International, HSBC, and Swift’s efforts to help businesses unlock the full benefits of tokenisation for enhanced liquidity, programmable finance, and 24/7 real-time settlement. As part of this initiative, Ant International and HSBC successfully integrated Ant Inter
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom