Press release
Illumina sends letter to shareholders detailing why Illumina's nominees far outmatch Icahn's slate in skills and experience
Illumina's director nominees bring deep commercial, scientific and business experience from leading organizations including Microsoft, Symantec, and
About this update from Illumina, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Illumina's director nominees bring deep commercial, scientific and business experience from leading organizations including Microsoft, Symantec, and Medco-UBCLeading proxy advisory firm ISS has recommended Illumina shareholders vote FOR Illumina CEO Francis deSouza and Board member Robert EpsteinIcahn's associates bring ZERO relevant experience and ZERO independenceIllumina requests shareholders to vote the WHITE proxy card today FOR all nine of Illumina's director nomineesAnnual Meeting will be held virtually on May 25, 2023, at 10:00 am Pacific Time (1:00 pm Eastern Time)For more information, visit www.IlluminaForward.comSAN DIEGO, May 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, today issued a shareholder letter outlining the purpose-built mix of skills Illumina's nominees bring to the Board compared to Carl Icahn's unqualified associates, each of whom lack relevant experience and independence.\nInstitutional Shareholder Services (\"ISS\"), a leading independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory firm, recommends Illumina shareholders vote FOR Illumina CEO Francis deSouza and Board member Robert Epstein. In a report dated May 12, 2023, ISS noted that Icahn's associates – Jesse Lynn, Andrew Teno, and Vincent Intrieri – \"are largely interchangeable,\" further stating that Icahn \"is seeking to replace the company's Chairman, CEO, and longest-tenured director with a three-member slate that is relatively homogenous. All three are investment professionals who work or worked for Icahn for years.\"\nIllumina is pleased that ISS recognizes the strength of Illumina's Board and supports its best-in-class governance practices. ISS's recommendation that shareholders reject two of Icahn's associates is recognition that Illumina has the right skill sets and experiences on its Board to advance the company's strategic goals for value creation.\nIt's also important for Illumina shareholders to know that Carl Icahn's firm, Icahn Enterprises LP (NASDAQ: IEP), revealed on May 10, 2023, that the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York has launched a federal investigation into the company's practices. Two of Icahn's nominees – Jesse Lynn, general counsel, and Andrew Teno, a senior portfolio manager – currently work at IEP, the entity being invest...