Avantor Reaffirms Shareholder Value Focus, Appoints Emmanuel Ligner as CEO

Avantor, a leading life sciences company, has reiterated its focus on shareholder value creation. Emmanuel Ligner, a seasoned leader with a proven track record in the life sciences industry, will begin as CEO next week. The company is confident in its ability to accelerate execution of value creation initiatives under Ligner's leadership.

Avantor, Inc. (NYSE: AVTR), a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to the life sciences and advanced technology industries, has reiterated its commitment to shareholder value creation. The company announced that Emmanuel Ligner, a seasoned leader with a proven track record in the life sciences sector, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on August 18, 2025 [1].

The appointment of Ligner comes as Avantor continues to navigate strategic changes and value creation initiatives. The company has been actively engaged in reviewing its strategic priorities to drive growth, expand margins, and create sustained shareholder value. Over the past 18 months, Avantor has overseen several key initiatives, including the appointment of a new CEO and a new leader in Lab Solutions, the successful launch of a $400 million cost transformation program, increased transparency and accountability through the resegmentation of the business, and continued portfolio optimization [1].

Engine Capital, an activist investor, holds a 3% stake in Avantor and has been pushing for strategic changes to boost shareholder value. The activist investor believes Avantor has strategic value of $17 to $19 per share in a potential sale scenario and has outlined recommendations that could drive the share price to between $22 and $26 by the end of 2027 [2]. These recommendations include refreshing the board, evaluating the company’s portfolio, strengthening execution, instilling cost discipline, and aligning executive compensation with shareholder value creation. Engine Capital also suggested considering the divestiture of non-core assets to accelerate debt reduction and generate cash for stock repurchases.

In its latest quarterly financial results, Avantor reported sales of US$1.68 billion and net income of US$64.7 million, both down from the previous year. The company reduced its full-year organic revenue growth guidance to a range of 2% decline to flat growth, signaling ongoing pressure from weak customer demand in key markets and amplifying investor concerns about the durability of near-term sales and margin recovery efforts [3].

Despite the challenges, Avantor remains confident in its ability to accelerate execution of its value creation initiatives under Ligner's leadership. The company looks forward to an ongoing dialogue with all its shareholders, including Engine Capital, and is committed to acting in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders [1].

References:
[1] https://news.avantorsciences.com/2025-08-11-Avantor-R-Reiterates-Shareholder-Value-Creation-Focus
[2] https://ng.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/engine-capital-urges-avantor-to-consider-sale-or-strategic-changes-93CH-2055249
[3] https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/pharmaceuticals-biotech/nyse-avtr/avantor/news/how-investors-are-reacting-to-avantor-avtr-lowering-guidance