Crystal Amber withdraws requisition of Allied M...

11 December 2019

CRYSTAL AMBER FUND LIMITED

(“Crystal Amber Fund” or the “Fund”)

Crystal Amber Fund withdraws requisition of General Meeting of Allied Minds plc

Crystal Amber Fund, the activist investment fund, notes the announcement made today by the Board of Allied Minds plc (“Allied Minds”) in response to the Fund’s general meeting requisition announced on 21 November 2019.  In light of Allied Minds’  appointment to its board of Mark Lerdal, the director candidate proposed by the Fund (who has directly relevant experience of realising shareholder value from a comparable US-based, UK-listed company), and the other announced changes to the Allied Minds board and to executive compensation, the Fund has formally withdrawn the requisition notice.

Actions such as the announced board changes and the focus on maximising cash returns to shareholders – not least from the recent sale of Allied Minds’ stake in HawkEye 360 – demonstrate the value of Crystal Amber Fund’s activist investment approach.

Richard Bernstein, investment adviser to Crystal Amber Fund, said: “We have always attempted to engage positively in a private manner with our investee companies in an effort to effect change in the interests of all shareholders.  This is one of a small number of cases where we have felt obliged to take public action to ensure that shareholder interests are being properly considered.  We are pleased that the Board of Allied Minds has engaged with us and the outcome of this process is an acknowledgment that Allied Minds can do more to maximise the realisation of shareholder value.  We are also encouraged about the progress we believe can now be made in this regard.”

For further enquiries please contact:

Crystal Amber Fund Limited
Christopher Waldron (Chairman)	Tel: [phone]
Allenby Capital Limited - Nominated Adviser
David Worlidge/Liz Kirchner	Tel: [phone]
Winterflood Investment Trusts - Broker
Joe Winkley/Neil Langford	Tel: [phone]
Crystal Amber Advisers (UK) LLP - Investment Adviser
Richard Bernstein	Tel: [phone]