This is a legacy page. Please click here to view the latest version.
Tue 20 Feb 2018 09:23

Aegean shareholder group 'gravely concerned' by board's 'silence'


Committee for Aegean Accountability says it intends to serve the company with a books and records request.



The Committee for Aegean Accountability - a group of long-term shareholders of bunker supplier Aegean Marine Petroleum who collectively control around 12 percent of the company - issued a statement on Monday to the chairman of the company's board of directors.

Below is the statement issued by Committee leader Tyler Baron on behalf of the Committee:

We are deeply disappointed by the Board's lack of response to our nomination of four highly qualified candidates for election to the Board at the 2018 Annual Meeting. The Committee has, in good faith, made repeated efforts at constructive engagement, including a public letter to the Company in December. To date, these efforts have been met with silence and dismissal from the Board. Unfortunately, this is consistent with the Board's established pattern of inadequately addressing the concerns of the very shareholders for which it has a fiduciary duty to represent, a pattern which required the formation of the Committee to begin with and has persisted.

A foundational principle of corporate governance is that the owners of a company are vested with the power to choose who will best represent their interests and uphold the fiduciary duties to which the board of directors is bound. The Committee's nominations present shareholders with a compelling choice to restore accountability to the Board and unlock substantial shareholder value. Based on extensive feedback from shareholders, the Committee is confident that its views are broadly shared. We look forward to soliciting votes in favor of the election of our slate of four highly qualified nominees to restore credibility on the Board and effect long-overdue changes at the Company.

The Committee would like to remind the Board that while the majority of its members are based in Greece, the Company is subject to the applicable laws and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where the Company is domiciled. This Board's troubling history of related party transactions that benefit Founder Dimitris Melissanidis at the expense of shareholders makes us gravely concerned that the Board's silence means it is contemplating a transaction designed to dilute shareholder influence at Aegean. We caution the Board against any attempt to suppress the voting rights of shareholders through a dilutive transaction.

The Committee can only interpret the Board's lack of meaningful response as a further indication of its entrenchment, and absent any communication, we intend to serve the Company with a books and records request to determine the full extent of the Board's involvement in related party dealings. As always, however, we remain ready and willing to engage in constructive discussions with the Company at all times.


Singapore Port viewed from The Pinnacle@Duxton. Singapore marine fuel sales dip 1.2% in October  

First YoY decline since February as sales of best-selling product fall despite bunker calls rising to second-highest level in port's history.

Daria Sukhanova, PMG Energies. PMG Energies appoints Daria Sukhanova as bunker trader  

Marine fuel business adds trader with over five years of experience to its team.

CMA CGM Salamanque vessel alongside Edison's Ravenna Knutsen vessel. CMA CGM and Edison complete Italy's first STS LNG bunkering for a boxship  

Ship-to-ship operation marks the first time LNG has been delivered to a container vessel in the Adriatic.

Simona Toma, Columbia Group. Columbia Group prioritizes LNG training to build seafarer competence  

Ship manager says LNG knowledge will form the foundation for working safely with future fuels.

Methanol fuel safety guidelines graphic. ClassNK updates methanol fuel guidelines as alcohol-fuelled ship orders rise  

Japanese classification society releases revised safety requirements for methyl and ethyl alcohol-fuelled vessels.

Island Oil Holdings logo. Island Oil seeks front office administrator in Limassol  

Cyprus-based bunker supplier and trader advertises role with benefits including provident fund.

NSU Tubarao vessel. Anemoi completes rotor sail installation on 400,000 DWT ore carrier  

UK firm fits five 35m-tall units on NS United vessel, targeting 6-12% fuel savings.

Liberty Marine Fuels 10-year anniversary graphic. Liberty Marine Fuels marks 10 years in bunker brokering  

Aalborg-based bunker broker celebrates a decade of operations connecting shipowners, charterers, and suppliers.

Charis Chartosias, Island Oil. Island Oil appoints Charis Chartosias as Commercial Development Manager  

Marine fuel trader brings over 14 years' experience to Limassol-based company.

Amalie Møller Simonsen, Malik Supply. Malik Supply appoints HR consultant to support organisational development  

Danish marine fuel trader hires Amalie Møller Simonsen with HR experience at Gjensidige and Netcompany.


↑  Back to Top