FRANKFURT/MUNICH, March 13 (Reuters) - A top shareholder of German online takeaway food firm Delivery Hero has threatened to push for an ouster of the company's leadership unless it makes fast
Delivery Hero investor Aspex calls on CEO to step up turnaround or face ouster
Aspex Management Pressures Delivery Hero for Strategic Changes
By Christoph Steitz and Alexander Hübner
FRANKFURT/MUNICH, March 13 (Reuters) - A top Delivery Hero shareholder has threatened to push for a change of leadership unless the German online takeaway food group makes fast progress in an ongoing strategic review.
Aspex Management said in a letter addressed to Delivery Hero CEO Niklas Oestberg, which was seen by Reuters, that there had been little progress and warned of further value destruction if not enough is done by the company.
Hong Kong-based Aspex's comments add to pressure on Delivery Hero's management, which announced in December it would reassess its capital allocation and some country operations.
Aspex Questions Ownership of Overseas Businesses
ASPEX QUESTIONS OWNERSHIP OF OVERSEAS BUSINESSES
Concerns Over Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American Operations
Aspex said it doubted Delivery Hero was the best owner for selected businesses in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, and that unless there was progress soon, it would "assess all legal courses of action available".
These included "initiating steps that aim at ultimately changing the leadership of the company", it added.
Aspex declined to comment on the letter, which was dated March 12.
Management's Response to Aspex's Demands
Oestberg said in a statement in response to the letter that the management board and non-executive supervisory board were "fully aligned" on the ongoing strategic review.
"A number of processes and/or negotiations are currently being conducted and need to be handled with due care," the CEO added.
He said the share price performance did not accurately reflect what has been achieved, and that management was working diligently to improve profitability and operational performance.
Profitability Concerns and Shareholder Pressure
DELIVERY HERO 'LESS PROFITABLE' THAN RIVALS, ASPEX SAYS
Comparison with Industry Rivals
In its letter, Aspex said the group was less profitable than rivals Uber, Grab, Doordash and Meituan.
"Our expectation is that you will identify all those assets where Delivery Hero is not the best owner and operator, and the sale of such assets generates higher value for the company and for its shareholders ... than Delivery Hero continuing to operate such businesses," Aspex said.
The sale of individual country divisions or minority holdings would not "constitute a believable and acceptable" outcome of the review, Aspex added.
Aspex's Stake and Ongoing Activist Interest
Aspex, Delivery Hero's third-largest investor with a 9.2% stake worth 474 million euros ($542 million), has been on the German company's shareholder register since 2020.
Delivery Hero's shares were down 0.6% at 1028 GMT.
The company attracted another activist investor's attention two years ago amid shareholder concerns about the group's debt and ability to generate enough cash from operations.
Supervisory Board Changes
The founder of activist investor Sachem Head Capital Management won a seat on the food delivery group's supervisory board in 2024.
Exchange Rate Information
($1 = 0.8743 euros)
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Alexander Huebner; Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Thomas Seythal, Alexander Smith and Jan Harvey)
