Japan's Sapporo needs to be more transparent on real estate sales, board candidate says
TOKYO (Reuters) - Beer manufacturer Sapporo Holdings Ltd needs to be more transparent about its plans to divest some of its substantial real estate holdings, said a board candidate backed by the Japanese company's largest shareholder.
Paul Brough, a former independent director at Toshiba and nominee of Singapore-based 3D Investment Partners, said Sapporo has strong brands but has been plagued with poor results and ineffective capital allocation.
"We need to build transparency with our shareholders," Brough said in an interview on Friday. "We need to tell them where we are with the real estate disposal process."
3D Investment said on Monday that shareholder proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has backed Brough as an outside director for Sapporo, seconding an earlier recommendation by ISS, another proxy advisory firm.
Sapporo said it opposes Bough's nomination due to a skill overlap with other directors and because his advisory role with 3D Investment makes him "non-independent."
Last month, the company said it has received proposals from more than 10 companies and funds regarding capital injections into its real estate business. Sapporo said it will decide on a plan by the end of this year.
3D, which has increased its stake in Sapporo to more than 19%, according to LSEG data, has been openly critical of the company's management since at least 2022.
Sapporo was previously the target of a takeover bid in 2007 by U.S.-based activist fund Steel Partners, which had urged the company to sell off underperforming units and improve management of its real estate holdings.
The company is due to hold its annual shareholders meeting on March 28. Brough said if he were elected to the board, he would urge the company to use proceeds from real estate sales to consider strategic acquisitions, buyback or special dividends.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Stocks to Watch Friday: Accenture, Kroger, Microsoft, GMS
A Kroger bakery. The supermarket chain's earnings are in the spotlight. (Joshua L. Jones/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images/Reuters)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
AIA Singapore launches inaugural AIA Ultimate FitnessFest to champion healthier lifestyles
With support from HYROX, the AIA Ultimate FitnessFest is a pioneering hybrid fitness event dedicated to advocating healthy lifestyles and championing the need for individuals to be protected. SINGAPORE, June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading health insurance provider AIA Singapore is proud to launch the inaugural AIA Ultimate FitnessFest (AUFF), with support from HYROX. Taking place throughout August, with the finale on 27 September 2025, AUFF features two thrilling editions — the University Edition and the Open Edition, catering to participants across all fitness levels. Building on AIA Singapore's ongoing partnership with HYROX for the AIA HYROX Open Asian Championships 2025[1], AUFF is the first-of-its-kind initiative that provides additional avenues for Gen Zs and people of all ages to "Rethink Healthy" — AIA's regional campaign that seeks to challenge stereotypes and narrow depictions of health in Asia and calls for new definitions of health that will encourage more people to live healthier. With only 2 in 5 (44%)[2] of Gen Zs in Singapore protected against personal accidents, raising awareness and providing access to financial protection for this under-insured group is crucial. AIA aims to champion the need to protect them by launching AIA #GenFit PA plan — an affordable personal accident plan designed to cover not just medical bills but also the active lifestyles of Gen Zs. They can reach out to an AIA consultant or insurance representative to learn more about the plan and the special AIA Vitality offer available with the purchase of AIA #GenFit PA plan in 2025. More information on the plan can be found here "With rising healthcare costs in Singapore and a growing protection gap among Gen Zs, we are taking proactive steps to address this challenge," says Wong Sze Keed, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Singapore. "The AUFF University Edition, with support from HYROX, is more than just a fitness event — it's a meaningful platform to promote healthier, more active lifestyles while driving greater awareness of financial protection among younger Gen Zs. We hope to empower them to build a strong foundation for both physical and financial well-being as they work towards a more secure future." "Additionally, AIA Singapore is deepening our engagement with the community. The AUFF University Edition qualifiers at the finals on 27 September will have the exciting opportunity to compete against Team Strong Silvers, a group of senior citizens in Singapore who are known for challenging age stereotypes and promoting an active lifestyle among seniors in Singapore. Fitness is for everyone, and through AUFF, we want to encourage people of all ages to live healthier, longer, better lives." AUFF – University Edition Available to students from Singapore's local universities[3], the AUFF University Edition begins in August 2025 with the campus qualifiers, followed by the finals in September. The top two teams will win complimentary participation at the AIA HYROX Singapore race in November. The AUFF University Edition invites students to form teams of four and compete in qualifiers across Singapore. These qualifiers will test participants with challenges like rowing and synchronised weighted lunges. The top three teams from each university, based on their overall scores, will advance to the finals. The finals will feature a HYROX-inspired challenge, pushing teams through a high-intensity sequence designed to test their strength, endurance, and teamwork. The workout includes a 1,000-meter run, burpee broad jumps, walking lunges, a 1,000-meter row, hand-release push-ups, and finishes with an intense set of 100 wall balls. In the lead-up to the finals, each qualifying team will be encouraged to participate in the activities and earn bonus points which will be added to their scores at the finals. Designed to promote holistic well-being, these challenges encourage participants to Rethink Healthy through a variety of health-focused activities, including: Rainforest Amazing Race: Teams will race through the newly launched Rainforest Wild ASIA[4] at Mandai Wildlife Reserve's nature-filled, adventure-style challenge that strengthens bonds while reconnecting with the great outdoors. Run with AIA: Teams can organise runs with AIA to build camaraderie while enhancing their endurance and running techniques. Social and Charity: Participants can earn points by posting on their personal social media platforms around rallying supporters to attend the finals or raising awareness and funds for causes like AIA Better Lives Fund. HYROX Inspired Fitness Challenge: AIA HYROX's official gym partner, Fitness First, will be holding training sessions for teams to track their fitness progress. Rankings at these trainings will also earn them bonus points. AUFF – Open Edition The AUFF Open Edition is open to anyone curious about HYROX. Welcoming participants of all ages and fitness levels, it offers a "lite" version of the HYROX experience – designed to be accessible, fun, and inclusive. For more information on AIA Ultimate FitnessFest, visit About AIA AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively "AIA" or the "Group") comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR[5], Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, Brunei and Macau SAR[6], and a 49 per cent joint venture in India. In addition, AIA has a 24.99 per cent shareholding in China Post Life Insurance Co., Ltd. The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai more than a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in Asia (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$305 billion as of 31 December 2024. AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia, AIA serves the holders of more than 43 million individual policies and 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes. AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock codes "1299" for HKD counter and "81299" for RMB counter with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol "AAGIY". [1] 'AIA Singapore and HYROX Singapore team up to offer complimentary insurance at AIA HYROX Open Asian Championships 2025' March 20, 2025. Available at: [2] The seventh wave of the AIA Live Better Study is an independent study that was conducted from 29 November to 9 December 2024 with a sample size of 1,000 representing Singapore's general population. [3] Participating universities include National University of Singapore (NUS), National Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). [4] AIA Singapore has recently partnered with Mandai Wildlife Reserve on their newly opened Rainforest Wild ASIA as the naming sponsor of AIA Vitality Bounce and sponsor of the Tapir habitat. More information available here: [5] Hong Kong SAR refers to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [6] Macau SAR refers to the Macau Special Administrative Region. View original content: SOURCE AIA Singapore Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Arcfra Launches Joint VDI Solution with Omnissa, Slashing Costs by 61% Compared to VMware vSAN
SINGAPORE, June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcfra today announced a joint VDI solution with Omnissa, offering a cost-effective, high-performance alternative to traditional VDI deployments. The integrated solution enables enterprise customers to deploy Omnissa Horizon on Arcfra Enterprise Cloud Platform (AECP), reduces storage cost by up to 61% compared to VMware vSAN, while delivering enterprise-grade performance and streamlined management. As a member of the Omnissa Technology Partner Program, Arcfra has completed certification for Horizon Partner Application/Middleware Program and earned the Omnissa Partner Ready – Horizon badge for its flagship platform AECP. What's New In 2025, Arcfra joined the Omnissa Technology Partner Program to strengthen its commitment to delivering future-ready VDI solutions. Following swift certification, its flagship platform AECP enables customers to deploy Omnissa Horizon seamlessly on Arcfra's VDI-optimized infrastructure with full integration and enterprise-level support. The solution is delivered via AECP VDI Essential Edition, which includes all required infrastructure software with no additional charge for storage capacity. Why It Matters Traditional VDI architectures often struggle with centralized storage limitations, leading to performance bottlenecks and slower desktop response times as workloads scale. With Arcfra's distributed, high-performance infrastructure and seamless integration with Omnissa Horizon, organizations benefit from: Substantial Cost Savings: Reduce VDI storage costs by 61% compared to VMware vSAN, without compromising performance. High Performance Without Boot Storms: Distributed storage and converged architecture eliminate boot storm issues, ensuring consistent, reliable desktop experiences. Fast Time-to-Value: Simplified deployment architecture allows businesses to get up and running quickly with reduced implementation time. Streamlined Operations: A unified management console, combined with standard x86 servers and Ethernet switches, reduces operational complexity and overhead. Scalable and Flexible Growth: The distributed architecture supports incremental scaling at the component or node level—pay only as you grow. To explore the joint solution in more detail, download the full solution brief here. The 61% storage cost savings is based on a storage software license cost comparison between Arcfra Enterprise Cloud Platform (AECP) VDI Essential Edition and VMware vSAN, calculated for a virtual desktop deployment of 500 concurrent users (CCU) targeting office workers VDI use cases. The comparison assumes 360TB of usable storage capacity and 560 CPU cores required for the deployment. Pricing and configurations are based on publicly available or estimated list prices as of Q2 2025. Actual results may vary depending on configuration, negotiated pricing, and infrastructure requirements. View original content: SOURCE Arcfra
